Written answers

Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

International Relations

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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372. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps taken by Ireland at EU level to express opposition to the ongoing harassment and arrest of opposition leaders in Belarus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23617/20]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has condemned the human rights violations we have seen in Belarus, including indiscriminate detentions of peaceful protesters, ill treatment of detainees and curtailments on freedoms of expression, assembly, and the media. Ireland, and the EU, have made it repeatedly clear that the violence must stop and that those unjustly detained, including political prisoners, must be released and thorough investigations of rights abuses conducted. 

Our concern for the welfare of the Belorussian people, whose connections with the people of Ireland are well known, is central to our approach in contributing to EU positions, including at the UN Human Rights Council and the Council of Europe. 

We continue to work constructively with our EU partners to impose sanctions on individuals responsible for falsifying the election result and the unacceptable violence we have seen. We believe a firm message must be sent.

We are also clear that the future of Belarus is for its people to decide and the EU has offered its support and assistance to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in its efforts to facilitate a national dialogue between the authorities and civil society. We continue to explore a full range of supports to the Belorussian people with our EU colleagues, including diverting EU funding to civil society, the health sector and vulnerable persons.   

The best way for Ireland to respond to this situation is by working with our EU partners and through the OSCE to try to secure a democratic resolution with full respect of fundamental rights, and this is what we will continue to do, including at the next Foreign Affairs Council where there will be a specific discussion on the situation in Belarus.

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