{"id":192433,"date":"2026-06-18T16:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/192433\/"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T13:28:19","slug":"meps-make-engagement-with-minsk-conditional-on-release-of-all-jailed-regime-critics","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/192433\/","title":{"rendered":"MEPs make engagement with Minsk conditional on release of all jailed regime critics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 18, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>The release of all political prisoners and an end to reprisals in the country remain the necessary prerequisites for any meaningful political dialogue or economic cooperation with Belarus, says the recent resolution<\/a> by the European Parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A total of 504 MEPs supported the resolution, four voted against and 55 abstained. In particular, the document highlighted the fate of Alaksandra Pulinovi\u010d, arrested two years ago at the age of 16 and sentenced to more than 10 years in prison over antiwar graffiti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEPs called for her immediate and unconditional release along with all other jailed dissidents, condemning the Belarusian authorities’ misuse of anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws and criminalization of anti-war expression and solidarity with Ukraine, including among youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The document denounces ill-treatment in Belarusian prisons with calls to Minsk to end torture, incommunicado detentions, provide appropriate medical care to inmates and lift restrictions on access to lawyers and family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resolution also urged the European Union and international partners to step up efforts to secure the release of all designated political prisoners and enforce targeted sanctions against officials responsible for reprisals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opposition politician Anatol Labied\u017aka described the resolution as a demonstration of international solidarity with the Belarusian people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights groups say that Belarus has 843 documented political prisoners, while the real number may be significantly higher. Most of them were imprisoned for taking part in 2020 peaceful protests against election fraud and for online comments critical of the government’s policy. Authorities in Belarus have equated criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression to extremism and terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cichano\u016dskaja meets with EU foreign policy chief in Brussels<\/h3>\n
June 18, Pozirk. \u015aviatlana Cichano\u016dskaja met with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in Brussels on June 17 to urge the bloc to \u201cclose loopholes\u201d that allow Minsk to circumvent international sanctions. The Belarusian politician stressed that a sanctions relief …<\/div>\n \n