VIENNA (CHATNEWSTV) — A coalition of Western nations sharply criticized Belarus’ January 26 presidential election, calling it “predetermined” and conducted in a “climate of fear and repression.”
In a joint statement delivered Friday at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the UK and other members of the Informal Group of Friends of Democratic Belarus condemned the vote, which they say lacked transparency, pluralism, and fair competition.
“The presidential elections in Belarus fell far short of OSCE standards,” said Ambassador Susanne Schütz, Germany’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE.
“The process was neither free nor fair, and the outcome was controlled by the Belarusian government.”
The statement was backed by more than 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, and European Union member states. The signatories said Belarusian authorities barred meaningful election observation and continued a crackdown on political opposition.
“Instead of accountability and democracy, we see a system where opposition voices are silenced, media is controlled, and the electorate is denied a real choice,” Schütz said.
The statement highlighted a worsening human rights situation in Belarus, noting that over 1,250 political prisoners remain detained under harsh conditions.
“Torture in these prisons is systemic, habitual, and deliberate, with a pattern of impunity for perpetrators,” the statement read, citing findings from the United Nations Committee against Torture.
The report also condemned the Belarusian government for its treatment of journalists, pointing out that at least 42 media professionals were imprisoned ahead of the election.
The Western nations also denounced Belarus’ support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We deplore Belarus’ involvement and complicity in Russia’s unprovoked, unjustifiable, and illegal war of aggression,” the statement said.
The signatories reiterated demands for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and called for an end to what they described as systematic repression.
The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) had sought to observe the Belarusian election, but authorities only extended an invitation ten days before the vote—a delay the statement said made “meaningful observation impossible.”
Belarus also blocked OSCE monitoring of its February 2024 parliamentary elections and has yet to implement recommendations from previous OSCE reports on democratic backsliding.
Since Belarus’ disputed 2020 presidential election, human rights organizations have documented over 70,000 cases of political repression, including arbitrary arrests, forced exile, and confiscation of property.
The Western allies pledged continued support for democratic movements in Belarus.
“Belarusians have the right to determine their own future in a genuinely free and fair manner, without fear, oppression, or external interference,” the statement concluded.
Despite mounting international condemnation, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has shown little sign of easing his grip on power.
