Neale Richmond
Question:301. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions Ireland is taking in relation to the ongoing crisis in Belarus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41140/20]
View answerTuesday, 8 December 2020
Questions (301)
Written answers
Ireland has taken a firm stance in relation to the deteriorating situation in Belarus. The repression of the Belarusian people and the denial of their democratic rights is unacceptable. We have seen mass and indiscriminate detentions of adults and minors, curtailments of fundamental freedoms, media freedoms and internet shutdowns, and credible reports of torture, ill-treatment and sexual violence against detainees. Ireland has repeatedly called for the repression to end and we have condemned the ongoing use of State violence against peaceful protesters, which recently led to the death of Raman Bandarenka in police custody.
Ireland strongly supported the imposition of EU sanctions against 55 key figures of the Belarusian administration who were responsible for the fraudulent Presidential election in August and the violence we have seen. The latest tranche of sanctions included Alexander Lukashenko and his son Viktor, and along with our EU partners, we stand ready to take further measures. We also strongly support the EU in re-directing EU funds towards Belarusian civil society and away from the authorities. Complementing these efforts, Ireland has contributed funds to projects in Belarus managed by the European Endowment for Democracy that seek to protect fundamental human rights and media freedoms in the country.
We have repeatedly expressed our deep concerns about the appalling state of human rights in Belarus in international settings, including most recently at the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 4 December. We have called on the Belarusian authorities to implement the recommendations of the OSCE Rapporteur's Moscow Mechanism Report and the recommendations made by the international community during the recent Universal Periodic Review cycle at the HRC.
Ireland also shares the concerns of UN Special Rapporteur Lawlor on the persecution of women human rights defenders and we are deeply troubled by the prosecutions of Maria Rabkova, Irina Sukhiy and Marina Dubina. I can assure the Deputy that Ireland will not shy away from pressing the Belarusian authorities to adhere to their international commitments and to immediately and unconditionally release those unjustly detained, including political prisoners.
The future of Belarus is for the Belarusian people alone to decide and therefore we will continue to urge the Belarusian authorities to engage in a broad-based and inclusive national dialogue as the appropriate means to achieve a peaceful and democratic resolution of the current crisis.