EU Says Belarus Sham Elections

1/26/2025 7:05:10 PM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) BRUSSELS, Jan 26 (KUNA) -- The European Union (EU) described the presidential elections held today in Belarus as a "sham," stressing, "these elections were neither free nor fair."
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said in a statement that the "relentless and unprecedented repression of human rights, along with the restrictions on Political participation and access to independent media in Belarus, have stripped the electoral process of any legitimacy," emphasizing that the people of Belarus "deserve a real say in who governs their country."
She urged the regime to "immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, over a thousand of whom are arbitrarily detained."
She confirmed that the EU will continue imposing restrictive measures targeting the regime but stressed that the EU "stands with the people of Belarus in their quest for a free, democratic, sovereign, and independent Belarus, as part of a peaceful and prosperous Europe."
She added that the EU will continue providing financial support "for civil society and Belarusian democratic forces in exile," emphasizing that "once Belarus embarks on a democratic transition, the EU is ready to support the country in stabilizing its economy and reforming its institutions."
It is expected that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Moscow who has ruled Belarus for three decades, will win a new five-year term. (end)
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