EU and US call for the release of Belarus' political prisoners on the anniversary of mass protests

TALLINN, Estonia — The European Union and the United States on Friday marked the fourth anniversary of massive protests in Belarus by calling for the release of all political prisoners and voicing support for the Belarusian people.

The 2020 election, widely seen as fraudulen t both at home and abroad, gave Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term in office. The disputed balloting touched off the biggest protests and crackdown on dissent in Belarus in its post-Soviet history.

In a statement marking the anniversary, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell emphasized that “the EU remains united in its support to the brave people of Belarus, the Belarusian democratic movement, and civil society in their quest for a free, democratic, sovereign and independent Belarus as part of a peaceful Europe.”

Lukashenko's government responded to the protests with a brutal crackdown, in which over 35,000 people were arrested and thousands were beaten. Many opposition figures were convicted and given long prison terms, while others fled abroad.

The Viasna human rights group estimates that Belarus now has about 1,400 political prisoners, including the group's founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Viasna said on Friday that 65,000 people have faced arrests since the start of the protests.

“In the four years since the start of the 2020 election campaign, repression in Belarus has not stopped; on the contrary, the situation has critically worsened,” Viasna said. “Every day, arbitrary detentions continue across the country. Searches, smartphone checks, mistreatment after arrest, terrible conditions in prisons, beatings, and torture have become a daily reality for Belarusians.”

The U.S. Embassy in Belarus called for immediate release of political prisoners and voiced “support the Belarusian people and their democratic aspirations."

Lukashenko, who this year marked three decades in power, has survived the protests thanks to staunch support from Moscow. He allowed Russian troops to use Belarus’ territory to invade Ukraine in 2022 and let Moscow deploy some tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Friday announced new sanctions against 19 Belarusian individuals and 14 entities “involved in supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine through military resource production and transshipment of goods to Russia, sanctions evasion on behalf of Belarusian defense entities, and revenue generation for Belarusian oligarchs.”

It noted that the move, along with the sanctions introduced this week by the EU, Canada and Britain, “signal the international community’s continuing solidarity with the Belarusian people in their struggle for a free, democratic, and sovereign Belarus.”

Borrell urged for the release of all political prisoners in Belarus and noted that the EU on Monday adopted additional sanctions against 28 Belarusian officials accused of human rights violations, politically motivated trials, and state propaganda activities.

He also said the EU will provide support of up to 3 billion euros (about $3.3 billion) to stabilize Belarus’ economy and reform its institutions “once Belarus embarks on a democratic transition.”