The presidential elections in Belarus were overshadowed by a violent crackdown on peaceful protesters and the political opposition. In light of the political situation in the country, the EaP CSF formed a Monitoring Mission to observe all stages of the election process, while also taking note of further political and social developments in and around Belarus in post-monitoring period.
The EaP CSF Monitoring Mission has released their final monitoring report on Belarus. The report asserts that the presidential elections in the Republic of Belarus cannot be considered free or fair due to several violations of democratic norms and standards. As a result, the EaP CSF Monitoring Mission has developed a set of recommendations to several stakeholders: the Belarusian authorities, the EU institutions, the EU member states and EaP partner countries, the OSCE/ODIHR, international civil society and international donors.
First, the report outlines a series of general recommendations. Following, the assessment offers recommendations which are structured around different areas, such as the organisation of a new presidential election, electoral reform, the media and civil society. In general, the Monitoring Mission calls onto the Belarusian authorities to:
⦿ Cancel the results of the presidential election of 9 August 2020 due to massive violations that occurred at all stages of the electoral process;
⦿ Organise new presidential elections with an improved electoral legislation and an unrestricted access for domestic and international observers;
⦿ Release all political prisoners and investigate all cases of torture and inhuman treatment, as well as deaths of protesters that took place in the context of the election campaign period;
⦿ Refrain from the disproportionate and unlawful use of special equipment against peaceful protesters.
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Read the all recommendations:
