At the European Parliament in Strasbourg, as part of debates on violations of human rights, democratic principles, and the rule of law, a discussion was held on the new wave of mass arrests of opposition activists and their family members in Belarus. Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group were Anna Fotyga, a co-author of the resolution, and Joachim Brudziński.
Anna Fotyga said that the methods used by the Lukashenko regime against the Belarusian opposition “are all too familiar to us from our region’s painful past.” The MEP pointed out that the recent crackdown on a hundred of the closest family members of the most prominent opposition figures —including their wives, mothers, daughters, and other loved ones—as well as against Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s close associates and members of the Polish community, is reminiscent of the methods used by the Bolsheviks and Stalinists. “We must stand with those fighting for freedom and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners, as well as a cessation of all hostile actions. We must remember that Belarus is our closest neighbor,” urged the former head of Polish diplomacy.
Joachim Brudziński reported that recent raids and searches of the homes of political prisoners by the Belarusian regime’s security apparatus have led to the arrest of over 200 people. The MEP noted that, according to the “Viasna” Human Rights Center, the majority of those detained are the wives and mothers of political prisoners, including, for example, Ms. Maryna Adamowicz, the wife of political prisoner, former presidential candidate, and Sakharov Prize laureate Nikolai Statkevich. “European Union countries should not only be appalled by this cruelty but also call for the immediate and unconditional release of the detained relatives of political prisoners,” he argued. The Polish politician reported that, at the same time, additional charges had been added to the case of the so-called “Tsikhanouskaya analysts”—20 prominent Belarusian political scientists, journalists, and experts. He added that they are being tried in absentia and could be stripped of their Belarusian citizenship if convicted. The MEP stated that these crimes must elicit a stronger response from the European Union and the entire civilized world in the form of increased pressure on the regime through sanctions. “The scale of human rights violations in Belarus is so great that, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, some of these acts can be considered crimes against humanity,” Brudziński noted.
