28 March 2024, Thursday, 23:42
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Civil Rights Defenders: EU Sanctions Lifted At Expense Of Civil And Political Rights In Belarus

Civil Rights Defenders: EU Sanctions Lifted At Expense Of Civil And Political Rights In Belarus

A year ago, the European Union lifted sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime.

The sanctions were imposed in response to the human rights violations, committed by the Belarusian regime, but they were canceled, although there was no improvement of the situation with the human rights. The Swedish human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders marked the anniversary of the lifting of sanctions with the presentation of the report "Is This No Longer A Dictatorship? The EU Sanctions Lifted At The Expense Of Civil And Political Rights In Belarus", the Human Rights Center Viasna reports.

The report is based on numerous interviews and surveys, conducted with Belarusian human rights activists, which indicate a lack of progress in the field of civil and political rights in Belarus.

The Civil Rights Defenders analyzed the basic requirements of the EU regarding Belarus for many years and found out whether they had been implemented by the Belarusian authorities. The results were disappointing:

Democratic elections:

Any progress? – No

Revocation of the Article 193.1 of the Criminal Code:

Any progress? – No

Respect for freedom of the press:

Any progress? – No

Stopping the persecution of political opponents, civil society activists and human rights defenders:

Any progress? – No

Moratorium on the death penalty:

Any progress? – No

The release of all the political prisoners, their rehabilitation and the full restoration of civil and political rights:

Any progress? – Partial

The investigation of disappearances:

Any progress? – No

"Local human rights activists are disappointed by the EU decision to lift sanctions. One gets the general impression that the lack of coherence in the EU actions would encourage the government to suppress the civil society and critics of the regime," – the report says.

"It seems that the EU is turning a blind eye when it comes to human rights violations in Belarus, and the lifting of sanctions appears to be motivated purely by geopolitical problems. In this troubled time, when human rights are under threat throughout the world, it is important for the EU take a stand – the political and civil rights must be respected by countries that want to cooperate with the European Union. Therefore, the EU should immediately go upon another tack: to enable civil society to start a dialogue with the regime and to retain a few non-lifted sanctions against the country," – Joanna Kurash, the program director of the Eurasia Department of Civil Rights Defenders, said.

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