[autom.vertaling] Het Europees Parlement verzoekt sancties tegen Wit-Rusland (en)

The European Parliament has called for EU sanctions against Belarus in the wake of presidential elections held there yesterday. EP President Josep Borrell said that "the failure to respect international electoral standards in combination with a steadily deteriorating political situation and persistent violations of the civil and fundamental rights of the Belarusian people will not remain without consequences for the relations between the EU and Belarus."

The EP ad hoc delegation which monitors the election said in a statement that Alexander Lukashenko cannot be recognised as the legitimate president of Belarus, as the elections were not free, fair or democratic. There should therefore be a re-run of the elections. The delegation also called for an extension of the EU travel ban for high-ranking Belarus officials, while at the same time easing visa procedures for representatives of the Belarus civil society and setting up additional youth exchange programmes.

EP President Borrell said that the presidential elections had been " flawed by a high number of irregularities, instances of violence and arbitrary arrests. The assessment of the OSCE has confirmed the worries the European Parliament has voiced repeatedly over the situation in Belarus. " He called upon "the Council to take the criticisms voiced by Parliament fully into consideration when it decides on sanctions against the Belarusian government."

The ad hoc delegation said that " the vote took place in an atmosphere of fear and threats, with the Belarusian authorities threatening to use violence and even the death penalty against peaceful demonstrators making use of their freedom of expression and assembly ".

Parliament's ad hoc delegation is chaired by Bogdan KLICH (Poland, PES). Other members of the delegation are Monika BE?OVA (Slovakia, PES), Sar?nas BIRUTIS (Lithuania, ALDE), Ryszard CZARNECKI (Poland, NI), Barbara KUDRYCKA (Poland, EPP-ED), Joseph MUSCAT (Malta, PES), Elisabeth SCHROEDTER (Germany, Greens/ALE).