JOINT STATEMENT BY THE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT on the 2020 Sakharov Prize award to the democratic opposition in Belarus and the continued imprisonment of its laureates along with over 150 political prisoners in Belarus Brussels, 16 December 2020 - “Today we welcome the laureates of the 2020 Sakharov Prize at the European Parliament. It is a great honour to host the representatives of Belarusian society, which since the fraudulent presidential elections of 9 August 2020, has been peacefully demanding its right to free and fair elections. The list of laureates includes the members of democratic political opposition, human rights defenders, representative of workers, social media activists and Belarusian intellectuals. All these people, including their family members, were exposed to intimidation, harassment and persecution by Lukashenka’s regime. Majority had to flee Belarus and seek refuge in neighbouring the EU Member States. Three of nominees - Mikola Statkevich, Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Maryia Kalesnikava - remain imprisoned along with over 150 political prisoners in Belarus. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence of Lukashenka’s regime against the Belarusian people. We demand an immediate and full cease of all forms of violence, ill-treatment, and torture against Belarusian citizens and detainees. We call for an immediate and unconditional release of the 2020 Sakharov Prize laureates Mikola Statkevich, Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Maryia Kalesnikava, all other political prisoners and persons arbitrarily detained for participating in protests against the election results or against violence used by the authorities, or for expressing support for these protests. We call upon the Belarusian authorities, the police and special security forces to follow their duty to serve to the Belarusian people. Our deepest admiration and support go to the Belarusian people for their perseverance and fight for a democratic choice in Belarus, which is the basis of any democracy. We are committed to ensure that the EU does everything in its power, including the use of political pressure and the newly approved the European human rights sanctions mechanism, to resolve the crisis in Belarus, facilitate a national dialogue for organizing free and fair elections, achieve the halt of violence against peaceful demonstrators and release of all political prisoners. We stand in solidarity with Belarusian people for their courageous fight for sovereign and democratic Belarus. Today we proudly pronounce: Zhyve Belarus!” Petras Auštrevičius, Renew Europe, Lithuania Olivier Chastel, Renew Europe, Belgium Robert Biedroń, S&D, Poland Dietmar Köster, S&D, Germany Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, Greens/EFA, Germany Urmas Paet, Renew Europe, Estonia Anna Fotyga, ECR, Poland Bettina Vollath, S&D, Austria Andrius Kubilius, EPP, Lithuania Liudas Mažylis, EPP, Lithuania Raphaël Glucksmann, S&D, France Hilde Vautmans, Renew Europe, Belgium Sergey Lagodinsky, Greens/EFA, Germany Aušra Maldeikienė, EPP, Lithuania Pietro Fiocchi, ECR, Italy Katrin Langensiepen, Greens/EFA, Germany Frédérique Ries, Renew Europe, Belgium Miriam Lexmann, EPP, Slovakia Radosław Sikorski, EPP, Poland Klemen Grošelj, Renew Europe, Slovenia Juozas Olekas, S&D, Lithuania Andrzej Witold Halicki, EPP, Poland Sophie in't Veld, Renew Europe, Netherlands Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Renew Europe, Germany Eugen Tomac, EPP, Romania Sandra Kalniete, EPP, Latvia Nicolae Ştefănuță, Renew Europe, Romania Fabio Massimo Castaldo, NA, Italy Marek Belka, S&D, Poland Roberts Zīle, ECR, Latvia Diana Riba I Giner, Greens/EFA, Spain Ondřej Kovařík, Renew Europe, Czechia Inese Vaidere, EPP, Latvia Herbert Dorfmann, EPP, Italy Nikolaj Villumsen, GUE, Denmark Karin Karlsbro, Renew Europe, Sweden Luděk Niedermayer, EPP, Czechia Günther Sidl, S&D, Austria Juan Fernando López Aguilar, S&D, Spain Malik Azmani, Renew Europe, Netherlands Tomasz Frankowski, EPP, Poland Rosa D´Amato, Greens/EFA, Italy Attila Ara-Kovács, S&D, Hungary Irena Joveva, Renew Europe, Slovenia Magdalena Adamowicz, EPP, Poland Martin Häusling, Greens/EFA, Germany Abir Al-Sahlani, Renew Europe, Sweden Krzysztof Hetman, EPP, Poland Assita Kanko, ECR, Belgium Samira Rafaela, Renew Europe, Netherlands Leopoldo López Gil, EPP, Spain Arba Kokalari, EPP, Sweden Łukasz Kohut, S&D, Poland Evelyn Regner, S&D, Austria David Lega, EPP, Sweden Salima Yenbou, Greens/EFA, France Dace Melbārde, ECR, Latvia Dragoș Pîslaru, Renew Europe, Romania Michal Šimečka, Renew Europe, Slovakia Barry Andrews, Renew Europe, Ireland Ryszard Antoni Legutko, ECR, Poland Isabel Wiseler-Lima, EPP, Luxembourg Jordi Solé, Greens/EFA, Spain Christian Sagartz, EPP, Austria Andreas Schieder, S&D, Austria Charlie Weimers, ECR, Sweden Rasa Juknevičienė, EPP, Lithuania Javier Nart, Renew Europe, Spain Vlad Gheorghe, Renew Europe, Romania Ciarán Cuffe, Greens/EFA, Ireland Gianna Gancia, ID, Italy Petros Kokkalis, GUE, Greece Michael Gahler, EPP, Germany Evin Incir, S&D, Sweden Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, Greens/EFA, France Bernard Guetta, Renew Europe, France Andrey Kovatchev, EPP, Bulgaria Paulo Rangel, EPP, Portugal Hannes Heide, S&D, Austria Laurence Farreng, Renew Europe, France Petri Sarvamaa, EPP, Finland Bronis Ropė, Greens/EFA, Lithuania Alviina Alametsä, Greens/EFA, Finland Bart Groothuis, Renew Europe, Netherlands Jadwiga Wiśniewska, ECR, Poland Erik Marquardt, Greens/EFA, Germany Manuela Ripa, Greens/EFA, Germany .