Debate: Systematic repression in Belarus and its consequences for European security following abductions from an EU civilian plane intercepted by the Belarusian authorities
Date: TUESDAY, 8 JUNE 2021
Speaker: Josep Borrell Fontelles
Language: EN

This repression has been strongly condemned, as much as the massive human rights violations which continue unabated since the past elections in August 2020, almost one year ago. The recent events are related to the hijacking of a European Union airplane flying between two European Union capitals and forcing it to land in Minsk with intervention by a fighter, which is an act that oversteps many red lines. Not only has it jeopardised the security of over 100 passengers, it has also challenged international rules relating to air transportation. The subsequent arrest of a young Belarusian journalist as well as his partner is an abhorrent act. Their forced confession on state television is another example of the flagrant violations of basic human rights that Lukashenko’s regime commits. It was certainly awful to watch this image of these people detained, crying and recognising in front of state television like he has been committing I don’t know how many crimes against Belarus. Believe me, it was a shameful image, and we have to respond decisively against this image, against these facts. Already the day after, after the hijacking of the Ryanair flight, the European Council met, put this issue on the agenda and took decisions. The European Council called for additional sanctions, and for the first time they decided to include targeted economic sanctions. Until now our sanctions are usually taken on a personal basis, affecting individuals and entities but not the whole economy of a country. This time, the Council requested to take targeted economic sanctions. The Council also requested that all European Union-based air carriers avoid overflights of Belarus. They called also for adopting the necessary measures to ban overflights of European Union airspace by Belarusian airlines and prevent access to European Union airports of flights operated by such airlines. And I can tell you that these measures have already been adopted last week, and I will give you some details about it. Listing of individuals and companies, including those involved in the Ryanair incident, are well on track for adoption, and it will be adopted by written procedure in the following days. As mandated by the European Council and together with the Commission, we have started targeted economic sanctions, as the Council requested. They will be adopted at the next Foreign Affairs Council. I hope that the technical work will be finished and it will be affecting critical sectors of the Belarusian economy – but the final decision belongs to the Member States. I hope they will be united on that. Meantime, we will continue to address the human rights violations in international fora. Let’s not forget that we now calculate almost 450 political prisoners in Belarus. These groups include journalists arrested for simply doing their jobs – informing, students and representatives of civil society and ordinary citizens who protested against their freedom and rights being taken away by the regime. We have been contributing to the establishment of a mechanism to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations responsible, and we will continue to support the victims and look for the accountability of perpetrators. We have published a plan for an EUR 3 billion economic investment package in support of democratic Belarus, sending a message of hope and support to the people of Belarus, showing the prospects for a more prosperous country once they come back to a democratic system. Belarus, should the country change, will have a strong incentive for economic development, and this EUR three billion economic plan will support it. This is a way of proving that we stand with the Belarusian people and will continue doing so in the future. I am very much looking forward to listening to your remarks on this situation.