Belarus: Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell on International Day of Solidarity with the country

Today, we mark the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus, in memory of 31-year-old Raman Bandarenka, who was brutally beaten by the regime’s security forces, leading to his tragic death on November 12, 2020. His death was never investigated and no charges were brought against those responsible for it.

Since the 2020 falsified presidential elections, the human rights situation in Belarus continues to drastically deteriorate. The regime has made over 40 000 politically motivated arrests, pursued at least 12 000 politically motivated criminal cases and holds almost 1 500 political prisoners.

There has been a notable increase in the practice of incommunicado detentions, which targets political opposition members, civil society activists, human rights defenders and journalists currently behind bars. The purge against political parties and the state policy of further limiting civic space in Belarus has been also intensified.

The European Union supports the efforts of the Belarusian democratic movement and commends the courage and resilience of the Belarusian people who continue to stand up for democracy and their fundamental rights and freedoms despite the harsh oppression.

We also pay tribute to all political prisoners, including those who lost their lives at the hands of the regime as a result of ill-treatment, brutality and denial of medical care, including Vitold Ashurak, Dzmitry Dudoits, Aliaksandr Vikhor, Mikalai Klimovicz, Dzmitry Sarokin and Ales Pushkin. The EU reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in Belarus.

The European Union, together with its international partners, is leading efforts for accountability at the United Nations and through the International Accountability Platform for Belarus, an independent and impartial platform for the collection, verification and preservation of documentation and evidence of serious human rights violations perpetrated in Belarus during and after the August 2020 presidential election. The EU supports the Platform politically and financially.

The EU will stand with the Belarusian people as long as it takes on their path to an independent, democratic and prosperous country as part of a peaceful Europe.