Non-discrimination, regularization of stay, preservation of Belarusian culture: PACE adopts resolution on exiled Belarusians

20 June 2023, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on specific challenges for Belarusians in exile. It consists of 42 paragraphs concerning support for Belarusians and their families, support for Belarusian non-governmental organizations in exile, issuance of passports and visas, possibilities of unfreezing bank accounts of Belarusian journalists in Ukraine, as well as preservation and development of Belarusian culture and language in the diaspora.

PACE, in its first paragraph, expresses deep concern about the fate of hundreds of thousands of Belarusians in exile, as they had no choice but to flee the repressive Lukashenka regime.

"If any doubts remained about the nature of the latter, the rigged presidential election of 9 August 2020 haS shown its true character, turning Belarus into an open-air prison where human rights have been reduced to nothing," the paragraph reads.

The Assembly notes that it is impressed by the resilience, courage, and determination of Belarusians in exile who are fighting for the triumph of democracy in their country.

European parliamentarians are convinced that a democratic Belarus will contribute to ensuring security in the region. They think that Belarusians in exile should be part of the process of crisis resolution. The Assembly also believes that Belarusians in exile should not be discriminated against because of the Lukashenka regime's involvement in the war against Ukraine.

Among other things, the resolution recommends that European countries organize the issuance of longer-duration multiple-entry visas to be used as a backup option for those who are at risk of arrest in Belarus. An amendment was adopted to this paragraph, including at the initiative of Ukrainian parliamentarians, that the Joint Transitional Cabinet of Belarus is responsible for identifying and recognizing persons threatened with arrest in Belarus.

The Assembly also invites Member States, again in close cooperation with the European Commission and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to discuss with the relevant representatives of the Belarus democratic forces in exile the possibility to issue a passport for Belarus citizens in exile which would be recognized among the Member States.

In the last paragraph, the Assembly welcomes the fact that many businesses have been able to relocate from Belarus, particularly to Georgia, Lithuania, and Poland, but notes that difficulties remain. The Assembly calls for measures to facilitate the processes of access to credit, audit services, and so on.

The Assembly is concerned that information transmitted by European banks to Belarusian banks has been used by the Belarusian security services to harass Belarusian human rights defenders. Therefore, parliamentarians urge member states to exercise due diligence to protect Belarusian human rights defenders from the risks of further persecution as a result of their activities or information sharing.

Paragraph 34 of the Resolution, in particular, deals with the activities of the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers:

"In the light of the repression faced by the legal profession in Belarus and the fact that many lawyers are in exile abroad, the Assembly calls for the recognition of the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers as the organization entrusted with the promotion and protection of the human rights of lawyers deprived of the right to exercise their profession in Belarus, and with improving the provision of legal assistance."

European parliamentarians are also concerned that the bank accounts of Belarusian journalists, who were forced to move to Ukraine because of repression in Belarus, have been frozen since the start of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine. Some of them have already been unblocked, and the Assembly strongly recommends that the Security Service of Ukraine allow the unblocking of the remaining 50 bank accounts, to which their legal owners do not have access.

In addition, several paragraphs are devoted at once to creating conditions for the development and preservation of the Belarusian language and culture. The Assembly supports the creation of Belarusian-language classes in schools with a sufficient number of Belarusian children.

"The Assembly, impressed by the renaissance of the interest for Belarusian language and culture, strongly supports the initiatives by civil society organizations to preserve and strengthen these among the members of the long-lasting diaspora and the more recent arrivals. It therefore strongly encourages Member States to facilitate the creation of publishing houses in Belarusian, the teaching of Belarusian language and culture in universities, and the development of new tools supporting the dissemination of Belarusian language and culture among those in exile but also within Belarus. It believes that it is crucial for Belarusian statehood that its culture and language find again their rightful place," reads paragraph 36 of the PACE Resolution.