Statement l Dictatorship will never be legitimate: JEF Europe demands free and fair elections in Belarus

Brussels, 26.01.2025

Key Points

  • The sham elections organised by the Belarusian regime of Alexander Lukashenka should not be recognised by the free world.
  • The EU must maintain sanctions on the regime and expand them where possible, normalisation of relations is not an option.
  • JEF Europe once again reiterates its demand for the immediate release of all political prisoners held by the regime.

 

Today we witness yet another weak attempt by the regime in Minsk to legitimise itself through a sham election with a predictable result, following years of repressions against activists and aggression towards its neighbours. Europe must make its stance clear: dictators will never be legitimate!

For 31 years, the Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenka has held his country’s future captive, systemically removing opposition, dismantling the rule of law, and crushing civil society. As of 2025, no less than 1,245 people are unjustly imprisoned and maltreated for daring to oppose the Kremlin-backed regime, such as the staff of the Viasna Human Rights Centre and opposition figures like Maria Kalesnikava. This cannot be tolerated.

 

For decades, the illegitimate regime in Minsk has been oppressing its own citizens, holding over a thousand people as political prisoners, waging a hybrid war on Europe and aiding the Kremlin in its aggression against peaceful neighbours. Yet another sham election will not fool anyone. The EU must maintain pressure on the regime – a dictatorship will never be legitimate.

JEF Europe has been sounding the alarm over the human rights abuses in Belarus for more than 20 years and we will continue until Belarusians are free to decide their own future.

Martin B. Penov, Vice President of JEF Europe

 

Democracy is under pressure across Europe and as we enter another year full of uncertainty on both sides of the Atlantic, we must stand firm in our conviction that a free and democratic Europe is the only option for a secure future, and a free Belarus is part of that future.  A regime which oppresses its own citizens and supports Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine is a threat to peace on our continent. Normalisation is not possible with dictators, which is why we call on the EU to maintain sanctions on the regime and expand them where possible, along with continued pressure to release all political prisoners.

We saw how brave Belarusians stood up to the regime in 2020 and the heavy price many of them paid for it. The continued democratic opposition led by president-elect Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has shown that Belarusians will not give up in the face of tyranny. We as Europeans must continue to support democracy defenders for as long as necessary.

JEF Europe maintains its commitment to democracy in Belarus which it has expressed for nearly 20 years through its annual “Democracy under Pressure” campaign, previously known as the “Free Belarus Action”. Until all of us are free, none of us are. That is the guiding principle for a truly united Europe and the message we wish to send to the authoritarians of our continent. The only future we can accept is a democratic one!

 

About JEF Europe

The Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) is a political youth NGO advocating for the creation of a democratic European federation as a guarantee for peace, the rule of law and human rights. JEF Europe promotes true European citizenship, works for the widening and deepening of the European Union and strives for a more just and integrated society on the European continent. Established in 1972, the organization has more than 10,000 activists organized in over 300 national, regional and local sections in 38 countries

 

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Contact information

Martin B. Penov, Vice President

Young European Federalists
martin.penov@jef.eu