Debates In The European Parliament: Lukashenka Is Called A ‘Bandit’ Who Should Be Sent To The Hague
16- 19.09.2024, 12:52
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The absolute majority of MEPs stand for new sanctions.
On September 18, at a plenary session in Strasbourg, European parliamentarians held a debate on Belarus. MEPs discussed the situation with Belarusian political prisoners and called for new sanctions against the Lukashenka regime, reports a Charter97.org website correspondent.
Latvian MP Sandra Kalniete demanded immediate access for the International Red Cross to Belarusian political prisoners and called for the same sanctions against the regime as against Russia, completely isolating official Minsk diplomatically. Dutch MP Thijs Reuten also called for symmetrical sanctions and isolation.
According to former Riga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis, “the only way to force Lukashenka to release political prisoners is more and more sanctions, as well as complete isolation.”
Lithuanian Petras Auštrevičius and Pole Michał Kobosko called for increased sanctions against the Lukashenka regime. Czech legislator Markéta Gregorová noted that there are many opportunities to introduce new sectoral sanctions that would be painful for the regime. According to Romanian MP Dan Barna, stricter sanctions against the Lukashenka regime are “absolutely necessary”.
Former Polish Interior Minister and MEP Mariusz Kamiński called Lukashenka a bandit: “I hope that information about these debates and the resolution adopted by the European Parliament in their defense will reach Belarusian political prisoners through prison walls. Let this be a signal that Europe remembers them, that they are not alone. I also hope that these words will reach Lukashenka, a bandit who holds on to power only thanks to brutal force and support from the Kremlin. Lukashenka must be persecuted on the international arena.”
The deputies touched upon the issue of the regime's complicity in Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. Austrian MP Helmut Brandstätter spoke about the regime's complicity: “Lukashenka is not a legitimate president — everyone knows this. He probably understands this himself. Lukashenka allowed strikes to be launched from the territory of Belarus and Ukrainian cities to be destroyed.”
Polish MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk noted that the regime bears its share of responsibility for Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Lithuanian lawyer Dainius Žalimas cited the proverb: “Justice delayed is justice denied”. He called on EU member states to act more actively through the International Criminal Court.
Many Polish MPs spoke about Polish-born journalist Andrzej Poczobut, who is currently in Lukashenka's dungeons. The parliamentarians called on Serbia to refrain from extraditing Belarusian journalist Andrei Hnyot.
A distinctive feature of the first debate on Belarus in the European Parliament of the new term was that some deputies addressed Belarusians directly from Strasbourg in the first person.
German MEP Sergey Lagodinsky apologized to Belarusians for not including Belarusian political prisoners in the prisoner exchange between the Kremlin and Western countries.
Former Deputy Speaker of the Polish Sejm Małgorzata Gosiewska addressed Belarusians in their native language: “Dear Belarusian friends, we remember you and will fight for your freedom together.”
The Polish MEP said that the deaths of political prisoners are “a terrorist act against their own people” and called on the regime to immediately release political prisoners: “If you do not do this, we will make sure that you end up in the Hague. Your power will not last forever. The guilty will be punished. Long live Belarus!”
The closing remarks were made by the representative of the European Commission Stella Kyriakides: “The EU calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Belarusian political prisoners. We are ready to take restrictive measures against those responsible for human rights violations: judges, prosecutors, heads of correctional colonies, and security service employees.”
The vote on the European Parliament resolution “On the plight of political prisoners in Belarus” will take place today, September 19.
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