Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his assessment of the recent election in Belarus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4522/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As was the case with the fraudulent 2020 and 2024 elections, the Belarusian presidential election on 26 January 2025 can be considered neither free nor fair.

I am deeply conscious that the people of Belarus have once again been denied a real voice in the governing of their country.

The relentless and unprecedented repression of human rights, restrictions on political participation and access to independent media in Belarus deprived the electoral process of any legitimacy.

Furthermore, the Lukashenko regime breached its international commitments by preventing an election observation mission from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights from making meaningful observation of the election.

Ireland is deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus, and the Lukashenko regime’s continued persecution and intimidation of all segments of Belarusian society.

It is clear that this unprecedented level of repression is intended to stifle freedom of expression and prevent any criticism of the regime.

Ireland’s response to the situation in Belarus has focused on working bilaterally, at EU, and multilateral level, to support civil society and the democratic opposition in exile and to highlight concerns regarding the Lukashenko regime including its consistent use of state sponsored crack-downs to stifle opposition voices and shore up its own illegitimate authoritarianism.

Ireland continues to support strong coordinated EU sanctions and other measures, including action at the OSCE and at the UN, to hold Belarus accountable for its violations of human rights and the rule of law, and its complicity in Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine.

On 26 January, together with other EU Foreign Affairs, I met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, in Brussels ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council. At that meeting, I reiterated Ireland's commitment to continuing to speak out against the Lukashenko regime and to support the rights of the Belarusian population and the Belarusian democratic movement.