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MEPs condemned the murder of Belarusian Roman Bondarenko and demanded an investigation into the deaths associated with the protests in Belarus.
On November 26, MEPs supported a draft resolution on the current violation of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Roman Bondarenko. The text of the resolution is published on the agency’s website.
613 MEPs voted in favor of the resolution, 41 – “against”, 35 – abstained.
The European Parliament condemned Bondarenko’s murder and demanded a “swift, thorough, impartial and independent” investigation into his death, as well as other deaths related to the protests: Alexander Taraikovsky, Alexander Vikhr, Artem Parukov, Gennady Shutov and Konstantin Shishmakov.
The deputies called on the European Union to support the international investigation of the crimes committed by the “Lukashenka regime” against the people of Belarus.
The document, among other things, calls for a complete freeze on transfers of EU funds to the Belarusian government and state-controlled projects, including loans from the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others.
Since August 9, the mass protests of those who disagree with the voting results in the presidential elections have not diminished in Belarus. According to official data, they were won by Alexander Lukashenko, for whom 80.1% of voters voted (he has led the country since 1994). Second place with 10.1% of the vote was held by Belarusian opposition Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. At the same time, alternative exit polls showed the opposite picture: Tikhanovskaya’s confident victory.
The Belarusian security forces violently dispersed the rallies using grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons. During the protests, hundreds of protesters were injured and wounded. According to official data, four participants in the demonstrations and one more victim, Bondarenko, were killed as a result of a confrontation between unknown persons wearing masks with local residents. The conflict took place over white, red and white ribbons. The Belarus Investigation Committee said the deceased was drunk. In a comment to TUT.BY, doctors said that Bondarenko’s body had zero ppm of alcohol.
Lukashenka assumed the presidency on September 23. For the first time in the history of Belarus, the opening ceremony was not announced or broadcast on television. Several states, including the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, did not recognize Lukashenko’s inauguration.
On October 2, the European Union imposed restrictive measures against 40 people responsible for falsifying the results of the presidential elections and forcibly suppressing peaceful protests. On November 6, the EU imposed sanctions against Lukashenko, who considers himself President of Belarus, and 14 other Belarusian officials. Ukraine joined the sanctions. After Bondarenko’s assassination, the European Union threatened Belarus with new sanctions.
