Małgorzata Gosiewska, Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Belarus, opened an exhibition in Brussels “The Unbroken,” dedicated to five human rights defenders imprisoned by the Lukashenko regime who have fought for freedom and justice for years. Among those attending the event was Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The European Parliament also hosted a conference on human rights violations and the plight of political prisoners in Belarus, at which the PiS MEP spoke.
“Ales Bialacki, Valancin Stefanovich, Uladzimir Labkovich, Marfa Rabkova, and Andrei Chapiuk were sentenced to long prison terms. Despite this, they remained true to their principles, did not succumb to repression, and their faith in solidarity and mutual respect remained unbroken,” — Małgorzata Gosiewska stated during the opening of an exhibition on the situation of the imprisoned, paying tribute to their unyielding will and dedication. The Member of the European Parliament recalled that the year 2020 will go down in the history of independent Belarus as the time of the largest protests, which took place following the rigged presidential election. “Fundamental civil rights and freedoms have been destroyed, and the country has become the most heavily repressed in Europe,” she said, pointing to the Belarusian authorities’ brutal response to peaceful demonstrations.
The Polish politician also stated that the Belarusian democratic opposition has been destroyed, and ordinary citizens are being imprisoned for actions that would not be considered crimes in any civilized country. “People are being imprisoned for donating to solidarity funds, for expressing their opinions online, for criticizing the regime, for supporting volunteers fighting in Ukraine, and even for giving interviews to independent media,” she listed. “Currently, there are officially about 1,300 political prisoners behind bars in Belarusian prisons, but in reality, their number is around 10,000,” she reported. She pointed out that among those imprisoned are people who have dedicated their lives to defending human rights, including members of the Belarusian Human Rights Center “Viasna,” who have fought for freedom and justice for years.
“Their stories are a symbol of resilience and courage, but also of great tragedy. Their steadfastness in the face of brutal repression is an inspiration to us all,” Gosiewska stated. She added that other political prisoners, such as Palina Szarenda-Panasiuk, Andrzej Poczobut, and Źmicier Daszkiewicz, also suffer daily for the right to freedom and dignity.
“I believe that this exhibition is not only an opportunity to honor their memory, but also to take even stronger action to secure their release,” concluded the MEP, calling for joint efforts to promote freedom and justice in Belarus.
The Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Belarus also took part in a conference on human rights violations and the plight of political prisoners in Belarus. During her speech, she highlighted the dire situation of those imprisoned by the Lukashenko regime. “The systematic, inhumane treatment of political prisoners is the norm in Belarus. These people are deprived of medical care and subjected to physical and psychological abuse,” she said. “The authorities use sophisticated methods of torture, arbitrarily extend prison sentences, and hold prisoners in incommunicado detention—that is, in complete isolation from the outside world,” — the Polish politician listed examples of inhumane treatment of political prisoners and violations of international law. She also highlighted the particularly shocking fate of Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist and activist with the Union of Poles in Belarus. “This is a man who has dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of the Polish minority; he was imprisoned for his beliefs and activities and has been subjected to brutal repression for years,” she stated, adding that he is not the only one. “Behind bars, 22-year-old Dmitry Shletgauer, who allegedly ‘committed suicide,’ as well as Ales Pushkin and Witold Ashurak, lost their lives,” she continued, listing the victims of repression. She recalled the fate of democratic opposition leader Mikolai Statkevich, who has been held in complete isolation for over four years, and it is unknown whether he is still alive. She also drew attention to the situation of Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, a mother of two, who, like many women in Belarusian prisons, is being tortured and humiliated.
“We cannot remain silent in the face of this barbarism,” the MEP urged. She also called for the immediate release of all political prisoners and for tougher sanctions against the Lukashenko regime. “There is no room for compromise here. Any form of dialogue that does not hold the regime fully accountable is a betrayal of those who are now suffering in prisons,” she emphasized.
