Cormac Devlin
Ceist:259. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of persons (details supplied) who are being detained in Belarus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35984/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 6 July 2021
Ceisteanna (259)
Freagraí scríofa
Following the forced diversion and landing of a Ryanair aircraft to Minsk by the Belarusian authorities, the journalist Roman Protasevich and his companion Sofia Sapega were detained. Ireland strongly condemned this act, as did Dáil Eireann on 1 June when it unanimously passed the Government's motion on the situation in Belarus.
We are deeply concerned for the welfare of Mr. Protasevich and Ms. Sapega. Videos of Mr. Protasevich “confessing” to crimes show signs of a forced declaration. There have been thousands of reports of human rights violations in Belarus, including torture. We note that they have been reportedly moved to house arrest. The Department of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation closely and Ireland will continue to call for their immediate, full and unconditional release.
The EU and like-minded international partners have been working to ensure that those responsible for human rights violations are brought to account. An EU-led resolution at the Human Rights Council has given the UN High Commission for Human Rights a mandate to investigate human rights violations and her team is initiating their work. Ireland is one of dozens of members of the international community who have issued a joint statement at the 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council calling for the release of Mr. Protasevich. Along with our EU partners, we will also seek a mandate renewal for the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and we will maintain our call for the Belarusian authorities to grant her access to the country in her official capacity.
Sanctions also play a role in ensuring accountability. The EU recently imposed further targeted sanctions against those responsible for the ongoing repression and the incident which led to Mr. Protasevich's detention, bringing the total to 166 individuals and 15 business entities. Sectoral economic sanctions have also been imposed and Ireland is open to going further should the situation not improve.