On the situation of freedom of faith in Belarus

Written declaration No. 814 | Doc. 16220 | 26 June 2025

Signatories:

Mr Pablo HISPÁN, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Dora BAKOYANNIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Regina BASTOS, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Theo BOVENS, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Iulian BULAI, Romania, ALDE ; Ms Maria-Nefeli CHATZIIOANNIDOU, Greece, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrian CHEPTONAR, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Benjamin DALLE, Belgium, EPP/CD ; Ms Marie-Christine DALLOZ, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Natalia DAVIDOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Paul GALLES, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr Gustaf GÖTHBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Maria-Gabriela HORGA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksei JEVGRAFOV, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Orinta LEIPUTĖ, Lithuania, SOC ; Ms Carmen LEYTE, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Dimitrios MARKOPOULOS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Alice MINA, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Ms Octavie MODERT, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Ms Louise MOREL, France, ALDE ; Mr Szabolcs NAGY, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Cristian-Augustin NICULESCU-ȚÂGÂRLAȘ, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Tekke PANMAN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Christine PASQUIER-CIULLA, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Marko PAVIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Marijana PETIR, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Catia POLIDORI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Gonzalo ROBLES, Spain, EPP/CD ; Ms Denitsa SACHEVA, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Ms Ingjerd Schie SCHOU, Norway, EPP/CD ; Mr Robert-Ionatan SIGHIARTĂU, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhii SOBOLIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Elena-Simona SPĂTARU, Romania, ALDE ; Mr Georgios STAMATIS, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Jorida TABAKU, Albania, EPP/CD ; Ms Birutė VĖSAITĖ, Lithuania, SOC ; Ms Albana VOKSHI, Albania, EPP/CD ; Mr Markus WIECHEL, Sweden, ECPA ; Ms Elly van WIJK, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We condemn Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s escalating assault on religious freedom in Belarus. Since the fraudulent 2020 elections, the authorities have dismantled independent civic life (human rights groups, free media, trade unions, and political parties) and, in 2024–2025, have moved against religious communities.

The repressive framework has already produced draconian sentences, e.g. to Catholic priests Andrzej Yukhnevich (13  years), Henrykh Akalatovich (11  years), and  Orthodox priest Siarhiej Rezanovich (16  years).

Recent amendments to the “Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations” force all congregations to re-register under discriminating conditions by 5 July 2025 and impose up to two years’ imprisonment for unregistered activity, which means that private home prayer could be criminalised.

Freedom of religion is protected by Belarus Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and broader Council of Europe principles.

We therefore call on the Belarusian authorities to:

repeal the July 2025 re-registration deadline and Article 193.1 criminalising unregistered groups;

release unlawfully imprisoned clergy and all political prisoners;

return seized places of worship, notably Minsk’s Red Church, and cease interfering in religious autonomy.

We further urge Council of Europe bodies and member States to monitor violations, task the European Union Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief with an inquiry under international covenants, extend legal and technical support to vulnerable congregations, and build solidarity networks, so that Belarusians can worship without fear.