European Parliament Demands From Lukashenka's Regime To Release All Political Prisoners

Immediately and unconditionally.

On September 19, the European Parliament adopted a resolution ‘On the Severe Situation of Political Prisoners in Belarus’ by the majority of votes at the plenary session in Strasbourg, reports a Charter97.org correspondent.

The most egregious and notable cases are listed by name, including activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk and Belarusian opposition leader Mikalai Statkevich. MEPs are seeking information, medical care for the prisoners and calling for stronger sanctions against the regime.

The European Parliament ‘expresses extreme concern about the situation of many political prisoners, including Maryja Kalesnikava, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Statkevich, Ales Bialiatski, Maksim Znak, Viktar Babaryka, Ihar Losik, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Pavel Seviarynets, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, Mikita Zalatarou and Yana Pinchuk, many of whom have been held without contact with the outside world for months and years, suffer serious health problems like Maryja Kalesnikava and Andrzej Poczobut, and are subjected to isolation, ill-treatment and torture.’

The lawmakers ‘strongly urge’ the regime to respect the rights of detainees, provide information about their situation, provide necessary medical care and allow access to lawyers, family members and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The parliamentarians call on ‘the EU and its member states to extend and strengthen sanctions against individuals and organisations responsible for repression in Belarus.’

The resolution calls on the EU and its member states ‘to work towards accountability for the crimes of the Lukashenka regime and to apply actively the principle of universal jurisdiction’.

The parliamentarians call on ‘Serbia to refrain from extraditing Belarusian journalist Andrei Hniot, and the EU and friendly states - to monitor his case.

The resolution demands to ‘release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons’.

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