The 7th of February marks six months since the beginning of pro-democracy protests across Belarus. Every day since then, brave Belarusians have braved the elements, and the risk of arrest, to protest for their freedom.
On the occasion of Belarusian Solidarity Day, the European Conservatives and Reformists Party expresses its full support to the Belarusian protestors, and their desire to be free to choose the leaders that they wish, and chart a new course for their nation.
The ECR Party calls on the European Union and Western Allies to make every effort to support the Belarusian people in their desire to become a free and independent nation – including through supporting civil society organisation and introducing sanctions against the Lukashenko regime, including on regime-linked Belarusian firms and pro-Lukashenko oligarchs, many of which operate in the territories of Member States. We expect that relevant institutions will reveal to the public all assets of the regime and people connected to the inner circle of Lukashenko.
The ECR Party also calls for the release of hundreds of people who have been arrested since the beginning of their action and are still in jails, as well as an inquiry into the whereabouts of the more than 50 people who have gone missing. The international actions are needed as impartial trials in the country are impossible while Lukashenko is still in power.
ECR Party Secretary General Anna Fotyga MEP said: “The people of Belarus have for the last six months shown true bravery in the face of an authoritarian regime. I and the ECR Party call on the European Union to do more to support these people in their struggle for freedom, including through the use of new sanctions and support for civil society groups. mpunity for mass tortures and killings in the immediate neighbourhood of the EU needs a strong reactions and therefore we call on the EU and Members States to trigger the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction via a referral by the UN bodies and remind that individual countries may investigate specific atrocities in Belarus under the universal jurisdiction principle;”
