The European Union warned on Sunday that it may introduce new measures against the Belarusian dictatorship To continue to “challenge” international standards, one year after the “rigged” elections, in which Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner despite allegations of fraud by the opposition and much of the international community.

High Representative for the foreign policy of the European Union, “The European Union is ready to consider new measures in light of the (Belarusian) regime’s flagrant violation of international obligations,” Josep Borrell said in a statement..

The Spanish diplomat said the only way to end the political crisis “is through an inclusive national dialogue”.

The High Representative noted that On August 9, 2020, the last elections took place in the country, in which the people of Belarus saw their “hopes for the election of a legitimate leader of the country brutally dashed.” “Since then, the people of Belarus have constantly and courageously defended respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. A year later, his call went unanswered.”

Alexander Lukashenko’s regime launched “A Well-organized campaign of repression and intimidation against civil society and human rights defenders” NS Destroy NGOs and independent media, with the aim of silencing all voices and suppressing civic spacehe added.

With the illegal and forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978 in Minsk on May 23 and the use of vulnerable migrants for political purposes, in connection with the crisis with Lithuania, ‘The system has further defied international standards’Note Borrell.

For this reason, the European Union, together with other partner countries, called on “the Lukashenko regime to put an end to its repressive practices.”

Borrell emphasized that It will be possible to abolish EU sanctions only “as soon as the Belarusian authorities fully adhere to the principles of democracy and the rule of law, respect human rights obligations and put an end to all forms of repression.”

the The EU also called for the unconditional release of more than 600 political prisoners and the launch of a “serious, credible and inclusive political process” culminating in free and fair elections. It is monitored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Electoral Experts Group (EEA) of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Borrell also noted that, Once Belarus embarks on its “democratic transition”, the EU is committed to helping the country stabilize its economy, reform its institutions, create new jobs and improve the population’s standard of living. This could include a comprehensive economic support plan of nearly $3.53 billion, he said.

The EU will continue to “support the people of Belarus, including through emergency assistance to victims of persecution, independent media, humanitarian aid to the civilian population and international initiatives to hold those responsible to account.”Note Borrell.

The presidential election on August 9, 2020 in Belarus, which gave Lukashenko a new term, It led to several months of protests. Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, received 80.1 percent of the vote, against 10.1 percent for the opposition, Svetlana Tiganovskaya, according to the official vote issued by the authorities of the regime.

The Belarusian opposition denounced massive fraud and demanded a rerun of the elections, an option that Lukashenko completely ruled out. On the other hand Dictatorship intensified repression and persecution against the opposition, for which Tiganovskaya had to go into exile in Lithuania.

Several countries, including the United States, members of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, did not recognize these elections. On the other hand, Russia, China, many countries of the post-Soviet region, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Turkey, among others, accepted the results of the vote and gave strong support to the dictator.

(With information from EFE)

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