European parliament’s resolution calls upon Belarus to release political prisoners
- 1.04.2009, 16:00
A vote on the situation in Belarus is to take place on April 2 at the session of the European Parliament in Brussels. Deputies call upon the Belarusian authorities to demonstrate “substantial progress”.
In particular as said in the draft resolution published on the website of the European parliament, deputies call upon reforming the electoral code to guarantee opposition representatives participation in electoral commissions at all levels; to guarantee equal rights to all mass media by lifting the ban on subscription and distribution of independent publications through state-run institutions; to ban articles of the Criminal Code which are used for persecution of journalists and members of unregistered organisations, BelaPAN informs.
It is said in the project of the resolution that freedom of association, meetings, religion, as well as political rights should be guaranteed, as well as political rights. In particular, an end should be put to the practice of “politically motivated” dismissals, expulsions from universities and drafts to the army.
The European Parliament urges Minsk to moratorium to capital punishment, to recognize the public association “Union of Poles in Belarus” headed by Andzelika Borys, to reconsider the cases of forcible drafting to the army such activists as Franak Vyachorka, Ivan Shyla and Zmitser Khvedaruk; to create conditions for the European Humanities University to return from Vilnius. The first step in this direction could be the return of the library of the European Humanities University, the resolution notes.
If Belarus would follow these recommendations, the MEPs are set to recommend the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to consider a possibility of complete lifting of visa sanctions from Belarusian officials, as well as “to advance the process of re-integration of Belarus into the European family of democratic nations”.
The draft resolution expresses concern over the situation with human rights in Belarus and recent cases of their violations. The European Parliament believes that development of the political dialogue between the EU and Belarus should depend on lifting restrictions on freedom and ending violence against participants of protest rallies and human rights watchdogs. In this connection the document contains a call to immediate release of public activists Mikalay Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau, Uladzimir Asipenka and Artsyom Dubski.
MEPs also insist on participation of democratic opposition and civil society in the dialogue between the European Union and Belarus and express the hope that in the near future Minsk and Brussels would embark on a dialogue on human rights.
The Parliament of the European Union plans to call upon the European structures to streamline visa procedures and decrease cost of Schengen visas for Belarusians, to provide financial support to civil society, and in particular to the TV channel “Belsat” broadcasting for Belarus; as well as to consider measures of improvement of business climate, trade conditions and investments to Belarus.