The International Press Institute (IPI) today joined other members of an NGO coalition to call聽on the European Commission, the European Council, the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament to adopt new sanctions and recommendations for Belarus in response to its brutal crackdown on media freedom.
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Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Charles Michel, President of the European Council
David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament
Antonio Costa, Portuguese Prime Minister, in charge of the Council of the EU鈥檚 rotating presidency
Subject:聽The European Union response to the unprecedented, six-month-old crackdown on the media in Belarus聽
Dear Madam President, Mr. Presidents,
We, NGOs defending human rights and the freedom to inform, feel it of vital importance to share with you our deep concern about the unprecedented crackdown on the media in Belarus, which is continuing despite the international community鈥檚 condemnations.
Since 9 August, we have observed around聽400 cases of journalists being arrested聽just for doing their job covering massive, peaceful protests against President Alexander Lukashenko鈥檚 fraudulent reelection. At least聽62 cases of physical violence against journalists聽have been registered since 9 August and聽11 journalists are currently jailed. Arrests of journalists are leading to convictions with increasing frequency, the length of provisional detention keeps on growing, and journalists are often mistreated when detained, even if only briefly.
The European Union has reacted to the fraudulent nature of this reelection and to the violent crackdown by progressively imposing sanctions on Belarus, in particular, sanctions targeting persons identified as responsible for acts of repression and intimidation against journalists.
By adopting these restrictive measures, we believe the European Union has taken a step in the right direction. However, these sanctions聽will not suffice聽to end the crackdown.
Far from declining, the attempts to silence all critical or objective reporting are continuing in Belarus, and the authorities have now opted to press聽criminal charges against journalists聽working for the country鈥檚 few remaining independent media outlets. Several of them, including six women, were recently charged with 鈥渙rganizing and preparing events seriously undermining public order鈥� and are facing the possibility of up to seven years in prison.
After six months of this unprecedented crackdown, the international community and European Union cannot fail to see that the measures adopted have not prevented the latest disturbing authoritarian escalation by the Belarusian authorities. During an Arria formula聽meeting of the UN Security Council on 22 January, a score of European Union member states condemned the intensified crackdown on dissent and deplored the lack of cooperation by the Belarusian authorities and their failure to respect their international obligations regarding freedom of expression and opinion, including journalists鈥� safety.
We therefore now urge your European Union institutions and member states to adopt the following recommendations in a spirit similar to those of the October 2020 Benedek report:
– Freeze all disbursement of financial assistance to the Government of Belarus under the聽European Neighbourhood Instrument聽for as long as the common values and universal fundamental values of the rule of law and human rights are not respected;聽
– Continue imposing聽economic sanctions聽and other restrictive measures on individuals and entities implicated in or supporting violations of international electoral norms and international human rights law, especially violations of freedom of expression and freedom of the media;聽
– Suspend all or part of EU funding to the government of Belarus on the grounds of serious or persistent deterioration of democracy, human rights or the rule of law in Belarus. To this end, accelerate European Parliament and Council聽adoption of the regulation聽offering the Commission this possibility under its neighbourhood policy;聽
– Offer and increase聽assistance to threatened journalists聽and media workers, such as safe passage through their territory, refuge and medical assistance if necessary.聽
–聽Support independent media聽outlets working either in or for Belarus, through a dedicated mechanism.聽
On 17 December, the EU 聽it was 鈥渞eady to support a peaceful democratic transition with a variety of instruments, including a comprehensive plan of economic support for a democratic Belarus鈥� and to 鈥渁dopt further sanctions, including on other economic actors, if the situation in Belarus does not improve.鈥�
In the manifest absence of improvement in Belarus, we hope that the European Union will keep this promise.
We look forward to a clear response from you to these concerns.
Sincerely,
List of signatories:
- Christophe Deloire (RSF)
- Clothilde Redfern (Rory Peck Trust)
- Jessica N铆 Mhain铆n (Index on Censorship)
- Laurens Hueting (European Centre for Press and Media Freedom)
- Leon Willems (Free Press Unlimited)
- Sarah Clarke (ARTICLE 19)
- Annie Game (IFEX)
- Scott Griffen (IPI)
- Polina Sadovskaya (PEN America)
- Sara Whyatt (PEN International)
- Andrew Heslop (WAN-IFRA)