European Parliament Calls For New Economic Sanctions Against Lukashenka Regime
- 20.01.2025, 12:44
This is the only way to free political prisoners.
“Belarusian Political Orisoners: a Challenge for All of Europe” — a discussion with such a title was held on January 15 in Brussels in the European Parliament as part of a forum dedicated to Belarus with the participation of members of the European Parliament, Belarusian politicians and journalists.
The main organizer of the event was the head of the Delegation of the European Parliament for Relations with Belarus, former Deputy Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Małgorzata Gosiewska. The forum was attended by MEPs Andrzej Halicki (Poland), Karin Karlsbro (Sweden), Kosma Złotowski (Poland), Petras Auštrevičius (Lithuania), Mārtiņš Stakis (Latvia), Maciej Wąsik (Poland), as well as member of the Luxembourg Parliament, member of the Council of Europe Paul Galles.
The discussion, dedicated to political prisoners and possible ways to free them, was moderated by Editor-in-Chief of the Charter-97 website Natallia Radzina, and the participants were members of the European Parliament Mārtiņš Stakis and Małgorzata Gosiewska, acting chairman of the social democratic party Narodnaya Hramada Yauhen Vilski and representative of the youth faction of the Vmeste party Valeryja Chyzh.
Editor-in-Chief of the Charter97.org website Natallia Radzina spoke about the need to introduce sanctions for political prisoners:
“Today, the dictatorial authorities are holding thousands of political prisoners in Belarusian prisons. How many prisoners of conscience there are, we really do not know. The figures that are being cited today (more than a thousand people) do not correspond to reality. In fact, there may be up to 10 thousand prisoners of conscience.
The confinement conditions of political prisoners are truly monstrous. Over the past four years, people have been tortured, they die, they become disabled. We must remember: every day in prison shortens the lives of these people.
We will be able to achieve the release of all political prisoners only if we achieve strong economic sanctions against the regime directly for political prisoners. Today, there are not even conditions for negotiations on the release of prisoners of conscience, because Western sanctions were imposed for other crimes of the regime: participation in the war in Ukraine, the migration crisis and the illegal landing of an international airline. When there is serious punishment for holding thousands of political prisoners in prison — there will be an opportunity to negotiate the release of people,” said Natallia Radzina.
Acting Chairman of the Narodnaya Hramada Social Democratic Party Yauhen Vilski recalled the leader of the Belarusian opposition Mikalai Statkevich, political prisoner activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk, leader of the Belarusian Christian Democrats Pavel Seviarynets, and warned against deals with the dictatorial regime:
“Now we hear voices that political prisoners must be released by any means. Even by easing or lifting sanctions. This is a dangerous path. Such deals strengthen authoritarian regimes and create precedents for other dictators. Human freedom cannot be a subject of bargaining or compromise. What do we need or can do?
First, strengthen sanctions and link them to the release of political prisoners. Sanctions should be aimed at key economic sectors that support the Lukashenka regime: the export of potash fertilizers, oil products and other resources. It is important to eliminate loopholes through which the regime continues to receive income. It is important to coordinate the Belarusian sanctions and sanctions against Russia so that there are no mutual opportunities to circumvent them.
The capabilities of the International Labor Organization, which introduced Article 33 of the ILO Constitution with respect to Belarus, are being used very poorly. There is not enough political will at the level of national states to put these sanctions into effect. These are very good opportunities to actually deprive the Lukashenka regime of any income.
Next is increasing pressure on the family and wallets of Lukashenka and his international partners. We recently learned that [the owner of Savushkin Product and Santa Bremor] Aliaksandr Mashenski freely traveled to Warsaw and even, according to some sources, lived there. This is unacceptable. All this must be identified and all possible loopholes must be closed.
Belarusian political prisoners must be released not through compromises that weaken international pressure, but through the consolidation of democratization efforts in Belarus. Only a systemic approach that includes sanctions, international pressure and support for civil society can lead to real change,” said Yauhen Vilski.
Head of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Belarus Małgorzata Gosiewska expressed a principled stance:
“We must demand further tough sanctions against Lukashenka, his accomplices and those involved in spreading terror in Belarus. But we must also demand sanctions against European companies operating in Belarus. Of course, representatives of these countries and companies explain that these are jobs and that they improve the standard of living of Belarusians, but in reality this provides Lukashenka with the means to continue terrorizing the people. There was an example of a German company that hired political prisoners in Belarus. Sanctions must be applied to Lukashenka’s regime, but also to companies that cooperate with this regime.
We must also seek appropriate action from international institutions, including the International Criminal Court in the Hague, so that the criminals know that their actions will not go unpunished. I am determined to act and I assure you that I will not rest on my laurels. I am open to all your proposals when it comes to presenting evidence of crimes committed by Lukashenka and his family in the Hague,” said Małgorzata Gosiewska.
Mārtiņš Stakis, former mayor of Riga, known for hanging white-red-white flags in the city space of Riga during the Ice Hockey World Championship, and now an MP from Latvia, promised that working with the Belarusian democratic opposition will be a priority in his work in the European Parliament, and that he sees one of his main tasks as involving his other fellow MPs in raising the Belarusian issue in the European Parliament and in the media.
According to Mārtiņš Stakis, when introducing sanctions against the regime, the EU should take into account the opinion of the Belarusian democratic opposition: “We have a principle: no decisions on Ukraine without Ukraine. I think the same principle should be applied here. Many of these sanctions that we are talking about do not actually produce any results. So I think if we are talking about sanctions, you should be at this table, participating in the discussion and helping us figure out what these sanctions could be.”
However, Valeryja Chyzh, a member of the Vmeste party, representing supporters of former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, called for negotiations with the Lukashenka regime: “Human rights diplomacy relies on a mixture of pressure, dissemination of information and negotiations. Let's use all the tools we have.” In her opinion, cooperation with the Belarusian authorities in various areas is now possible, for example in the social or environmental aspect, and sanctions will not lead to the release of prisoners of conscience, since “there are no historical examples of this.”
Natallia Radzina objected:
“Such realpolitik led to the fact that in 2020 Belarus turned into a dictatorship. On the contrary, the strengthening of sanctions allowed the release of political prisoners. After the 2006 presidential elections, when presidential candidate Aliaksandr Kazulin was arrested, the US authorities imposed economic sanctions against Belneftekhim, and in 2008 Aliaksandr Kazulin and other political prisoners were released.
I was also in a KGB prison after the 2010 elections and was able to get out on bail, rather than stay in that prison, only because the European Union threatened Lukashenka with economic sanctions. Presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov in the 2010 elections was released in 2012 only because Western banks refused to provide loans to the Lukashenka regime, and ambassadors from EU countries left Minsk, demanding the release of political prisoners. Thus, Belarus has a positive experience of sanctions.
Negotiations with the Lukashenka regime will be possible when there are sanctions for political prisoners. What are the opponents of sanctions demanding now: lifting the sanctions imposed for the Lukashenka regime's participation in the war against Ukraine? This is impossible.”
MP Małgorzata Gosiewska also spoke out against indulgences for the Lukashenka regime:
“Only a tough policy can withstand a clash with Russia or with Lukashenka in Belarus — a conversation, but from a position of strength. That is, sanctions, a tough position. This is the only thing that has yielded results.
Lukashenka has played with the West many times: he deceived and pretended to be a civilized politician. But he is not a civilized politician, just like Putin. The agreements signed with them do not matter. Only a conversation from a position of strength matters. This is the only way to achieve the release of political prisoners.
I admit that in our behind-the-scenes conversations, I heard different opinions. For example, that the delegation of the European Parliament should meet with the ambassador, go to Belarus, meet with Lukashenka and, perhaps, start buying out shares from individual people. “Buy them out” — these were the words that were spoken.
Does this mean that one life is more important than another? Buy out several people? Fund Lukashenka? Is that the solution? No. We need to show solidarity and firmness. I will quote the great Belarusian poet Yanka Kupala: “Arise. Live. Do not die in captivity, my land, my people!”
Later, during the discussion of other issues at the forum, Swedish MEP Karin Karlsbro also called for increased sanctions against the Lukashenka regime: “The sanctions must be more effective. They must be stronger, they must be tougher.” Vice-Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Juozas Olekas spoke in unison: “We must increase sanctions against the regime.”
Lithuanian legislator Petras Auštrevičius advised Belarusian opposition forces to cooperate more closely with Ukrainian politicians: “There should be the yellow-blue flag next to the white-red-white. Geopolitical changes will bring changes to Belarus, not the other way around,” and also called for stronger sanctions against the regime:
“I hope that the conclusions of this meeting will include sanctions: more sanctions. Don’t fool yourself. Don’t buy the so-called “release of political prisoners” in exchange for easing sanctions — people will only suffer from this game,” said Petras Auštrevičius.
Polish MP Maciej Wąsik said: “I think that it is not only Ukraine that should be in the center of the world’s attention, but also Belarus. I think that this is the only way to do this — to be tough on Lukashenka.”