By authorizing the use of weapons and special equipment against demonstrators, Aliaksandr Lukashenka is personally responsible for the tragedy.

The BNR Rada strongly condemns the falsification of the election results and the violence against peaceful demonstrators who came out to protest against violations of the election law and against the usurpation of power.

By all indications, Aliaksandr Lukashenka has lost the election and cannot be considered the legitimate President of the Republic of Belarus.

The BNR Rada calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners and for new fair presidential elections to be held according to generally accepted democratic standards and without the participation of Aliaksandr Lukashenka.

The BNR Rada expresses its solidarity with the peaceful protests in Belarus and calls on Belarusians abroad to actively protest in order to bring information about the situation in Belarus to foreign governments.

The BNR Rada calls on the international community to exert maximum pressure on the Lukashenka regime to end terror against Belarusians and hold new, free elections.

The non-registration of candidates representing the democratic opposition is another clear proof that the current presidential elections in Belarus are neither free nor fair. This adds to the facts that the local electoral commissions have been formed without the participation of the democratic opposition and that opposition candidates face political repressions and are unable to run electoral campaigns in accordance with commonly accepted democratic standards.

The BNR Rada calls for new presidential, parliamentary and local elections in Belarus to be held in presence of international observers and in full compliance with international standards and the democratic values stated in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus. Aliaksandr Lukashenka has no legal right to run for office at these elections.

The existence of a brutal authoritarian regime in a European country should not be tolerated by democratic Europe. The BNR Rada calls on all democratic nations to put political and economic pressure on the authoritarian regime in Belarus with the aim to ensure free and fair elections.

The reluctance of some Western politicians to place demands for democratic elections and respect for human rights above economic pragmatism in their relations with Belarus is the key reason for the presence of new political prisoners in Belarus every five years at the time of elections. Belarusians remain the last nation in Europe who is not able to enjoy the freedoms and rights all European neighbours of Belarus enjoy.

The elimination of the state sovereignty of Belarus and the annexation of the territory of Belarus remains the long-term goal of the aggressive nationalist regime that rules in present-day Russia.

A. Lukashenka came to power and established his authoritarian regime as a conductor of the interests of revanchist circles in Russia. For more than two decades, the Lukashenka regime has survived solely because of economic and political support from the Russian Federation.

Currently, the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis have undermined the popularity of authoritarian rule in both Belarus and Russia. This happened at a crucial moment for both regimes, during the presidential campaign in Belarus, and during a vote on a new Constitution in Russia, which should further strengthen the authoritarian nature of the political regime in the country.

The Belarusian society must put pressure on the authorities of the Republic of Belarus and prevent Lukashenka from surrendering the sovereignty of Belarus in exchange for further assistance from Russia.

The BNR Rada reiterates its call on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all arrested politicians, activists, journalists and bloggers, and to hold free and democratic elections at all levels in accordance with international standards.

Further, the severe pressure on the political opponents shows that Aliaskandr Lukashenka, who is illegally holding the presidency of the Republic of Belarus, cannot win the upcoming elections in a free and transparent manner.

The most striking sign of A. Lukashenka’s inability to win the fair elections is the arrest of an alternative presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, one of the leaders of the protest movement and blogger Siarhei Tsikhanouski, opposition leaders Pavаl Sieviarynets and Mikalai Statkievich, and many others.

The BNR Rada demands the immediate release of all the illegally detained Belarusian politicians, activists and journalists.

Belarusian society and the future legitimate democratic government of Belarus must ensure that all the officials who carry out the political arrests and the unlawful pressure on activists, politicians and journalists during this election campaign are prosecuted in a due manner and in the accordance with the сurrent legislature.

The BNR Rada demands the immediate release of all illegally detained persons, including Pavel Seviaryniets, Mikalai Statkevich, Eduard Palchys, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, Mikalai Maslouski, Uladzimir Tsyhanovich, Maksim Viniarski, and Mikola Kachurets.

Poorly justified arrests, private life invasions and investigations, and dispersal of the rallies in support of the candidates who are alternative to the incumbent president Aliaksandr Lukashenka constitue a serious violation of the international democratic standards and of the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Referring to its statement of May 15, 2020, the BNR Rada once again states that today Belarus lacks the proper conditions for free and fair democratic presidential elections. The events that took place within the month after that statement clearly support that the current government intends to use the security forces and the state apparatus in favour of the one candidate Aliaksandr Lukashenka, who has been illegally occupying the post of President of the Republic of Belarus and who has no legal right to run in this election circle.

The BNR Rada calls on the international community to exert all possible pressure on the authorities of the Republic of Belarus to ensure the protection of human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Belarus.

The BNR Rada calls on the Belarusian society to stand up for the activists who sacrifice their freedom for the establishment of the democracy in Belarus.

The BNR Rada reiterates its call on the current government of the Republic of Belarus to pursue open, fair, democratic and merit-based appointments to the state agencies of all levels, which should take place under the international supervision and in full compliance with the generally accepted democratic standards.

1. At present, Belarus still lacks conditions for holding free and democratic elections that would meet both international standards, including the international obligations of the Republic of Belarus, and the letter and spirit of the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus. Obstacles have been created for nominating alternative candidates to A. Lukashenka. Among other things, there are no conditions for an election campaign in which all candidates would have the same opportunities, as well as no instruments to prevent administrative pressure on voters. There are no conditions for independent control and monitoring of the vote counting process, which once again creates a danger of mass falsification of voting results.
2. Given the illegality of the 2004 referendum, which abolished the limit on the number of terms that one person can hold the presidency, A. Lukashenka has no legal right to run in the presidential election in Belarus.
3. The coronavirus pandemic creates additional risks associated with the organization and conduct of elections during this period. Holding mass events, including elections, during a pandemic poses a threat to the health and lives of Belarusian citizens.

Referring to its statement of 13 October 2015 on the previous election of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the BNR Rada further calls on the authorities of the Republic of Belarus and all interested parties:

• To guarantee the citizens of Belarus democratic rights and freedoms enshrined, inter alia, in the current legislation of the Republic of Belarus and in international treaties signed by the Republic of Belarus;
• To create preconditions in Belarus for holding full-fledged free and fair elections, and then to hold re-elections to all state and local authorities in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus and international democratic standards.

The BNR Rada further calls on the international community to promote the democratization of Belarus and to put pressure on the official authorities of the Republic of Belarus to this end.

Referring to its statement of March 31, 2020, the BNR Rada calls on the Belarusian authorities to be open and accountable to the Belarusian society and demands that all necessary measures be taken immediately to ensure human health in the event of a pandemic.

The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic declares that democratic elections, respect for human rights and freedom of speech are the only possible ways to national consolidation of all Belarusians and to overcoming the international isolation in which Belarus has been in recent decades, and the only way to defend Belarus’ independence in the face of threats on the part of today’s nationalist and authoritarian Russia.

The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic,

Having considered numerous violations of democratic standards, such as the following:

– instances of disqualification of some opposition candidates, as well as the pressure exerted against others,

– lack of reasonable conditions for opposition candidates to conduct satisfactory electoral campaigns,

– effective lack of representation by the opposition in electoral commissions at all levels,

– complete lack of transparency during the vote-count, especially of votes cast in early voting,

– instances of pressure exerted on the voters, among them, forcing them to vote early ,

– instances of pressure on voting observers, including their removal from polling stations without justification,

– instances of rigging the voting procedure, such as multiple votes, and other violations,

Taking into account the failure by official authorities of the Republic of Belarus to comply with OSCE recommendations on improving of the election process in Belarus,

1. States that the elections to the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus were neither fair nor free, and that the resulting body cannot be regarded as a lawfully and democratically elected parliament of Belarus;

2. Draws attention to the fact that the elections were conducted with substantial violations of the electoral legislation of the Republic of Belarus currently in force, including its Constitution; as well as with violations of international accords signed by the Republic of Belarus;

3. Calls on the international community, including the European Union and the Council of Europe, to limit their contacts with the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus to technical issues only, thus excluding a possibility that said body would be officially recognized as a parliament of the Republic of Belarus, either formally or in practice;

4. Calls on the international community to apply pressure on the official authorities of Belarus with a view of bringing about democratization of Belarus’s political system and guaranteeing the protection of human rights that are called for in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus;

5. Calls on the official authorities of the Republic of Belarus to release political prisoners, including Eduard Palčys, Michail Žamčužny, Uładzimir Kondruś to bring the political system of Belarus in line with international democratic standards, and to conduct free and transparent elections at all levels.

September 13, 2016

by the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in Exile

28th December 2010

The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic (the BNR Rada) expresses its concern regarding the brutal repressions against opposition activists, political and human rights organisations, as well as journalists of the independent mass media, which have been unfolding in Belarus in the wake of the so-called presidential “elections” of 19 December, and which are currently gaining in scale. These repressions have involved not only the activists themselves but also their family members.

The BNR Rada calls upon the governments of the European Union member states, the United States of America, Canada, Ukraine, Turkey and Egypt to ban all the KGB and other Belarusian security services personnel, the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system, the officials of courts and the state prosecution service of the Republic of Belarus, as well as all of the said individuals’ close relatives, from entering those countries. The BNR Rada regards the said organisations as constituting the machine of repressions used against the democratic opposition activists.

The BNR Rada suggests that this ban should remain in force until such time as the last of the political prisoners in Belarus is released and all the criminal and administrative prosecution cases against the persons persecuted for their political views are cancelled.

( original signed by  )
Ivonka J. Survilla
President, Rada of the Belarusian
Democratic Republic in Exile

by the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in Exile

20th December 2010

The Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic (the BNR Rada) protests the extraordinary brutal actions perpetrated by the anti-Belarusian regime of Lukashenka against the participants of peaceful street protests in Miensk on 19 December 2010.

The BNR Rada calls on the leaders of the Western states not to recognise the results of the presidential elections in Belarus, as those were falsified by the officially declared “winner” Alaksandar Lukashanka who did not have the constitutional right to run for the presidential position.

New presidential elections must be conducted in Belarus without Lukashenka, with the electoral commissions to include members representing candidates from the opposition, to be monitored most closely by the international community.

The BNR Rada appeals to the countries of the West and international organisations to raise their voices in defence of those standing for democracy in Belarus. The BNR Rada demands the immediate release of Uladzimier Niaklajeu, who has been taken away from a hospital bed, as well as the release of all the other presidential candidates in detention and of all the opposition activists arrested.

( original signed by  )
Ivonka J. Survilla
President, Rada of the Belarusian
Democratic Republic in Exile

of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic

March, 20 2006

1. The Executive Council of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in Exile (BNR Rada) having considered the 19 March 2006 presidential elections in Belarus as well as the preceding and subsequent events, and noting in particular that

• the nomination of Alexander Lukashenka for presidency for the third term was unconstitutional and no democratic legitimacy had been secured for a revision of that norm;
• in the course of the presidential campaign the incumbent regime effectively denied the electorate access to information necessary for making a free and informed choice;
• the “elections” that took place on 19 March 2006 were neither free nor fair, and although the authenticity of the figures released has not been supported by any evidence, the results were forced on society solely by application of massive police violence; hereby concludes and declares that Alexander Lukashenka shall not be regarded as occupying the position of the President of Belarus legitimately, and therefore the office of the head of state in Belarus shall be regarded as usurped.

2. Since crimes against the human rights and humanity transcend international borders, the Executive Council of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic:

• accepts that democratic nations will be justified, on the basis of the principle of democratic solidarity, in taking measures of assistance to the Belarusian nation to regain its right freely to choose its government and destiny and to enjoy justice, fundamental human rights and political freedoms.
• therefore calls on the governments of the member-states of the EU, NATO, and in particular the leaders of the G8 democratic states to assist Belarusian society in regaining its freedom.

3. The Executive Council of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, recognising that transition to a government formed by free and fair elections in Belarus will require:

• the end to persecution and repression, the release of all political prisoners in good time to partake in the political process;
• the introduction of democratic electoral legislation, guaranteed by law and enforced in practice, the elections’ independent supervision, and the electorate’s unrestricted access to free information in good time;
• therefore observes that the existing ability of the leader and chief members of the incumbent regime to continue the abuse of their present positions of authority must necessarily be inhabited in order that the implementation of these conditions may become possible.

4. In the view of the regime’s self-isolation, comprehensive instruments of sustained pressure and assistance must be a part of any effective solution, the Executive Council of BNR Rada firstly calls for

• sanctions against the external personal and corporate interests of the leaders and high-level functionaries of the regime;
• sanctions against the regime’s ability to maintain a system of socio-political control over Belarusian society by keeping the majority of citizens dependent on the state for the material necessities of life.

5. Secondly, the Executive Council of the BNR Rada points out that sanctions against the ruling regime’s interests need to be complemented by a comprehensive package of assistance. It therefore requests that all necessary assistance be offered to the pro-democracy community in Belarus, including

• international humanitarian measures to mitigate the hardships of individuals, and members of families, caused by political repression in Belarus;
• a comprehensive package of assistance to disseminate independent information and build an independent civil society infrastructure.

6. Thirdly, the Executive Council of the BNR Rada calls for new concerted efforts to mitigate the external factors inhibiting the restoration of democracy in Belarus, the single major one of which remains the policy of the Russian Federation. The BNR Rada points out that the government of the Russian Federation bears a substantial measure of responsibility for the violation of basic rights and freedoms in Belarus since currently the Russian Federation:

• acts as a party to the politically-brokered economic arrangements with the regime, providing it with the means to sustain stabilisation policies that would have been otherwise unsustainable;
• acts as a political advocate of Lukashenka’s regime on the international scene.

7. The Executive Council of the BNR Rada additionally notes the present Russian state’s responsibility with regard to the problems of democracy in Belarus. It was the Red Army of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, from which the Russian Federation maintains international legal succession today, that overran the Belarusian Democratic Republic in 1919-1920, forcing its Rada and Government into exile and caused Belarus to suffer a variety of territorial losses.

8. In this regard, the Executive Council of the BNR Rada:

• insists that Russia would refrain from taking unfair advantage of the current lack of a democratically accountable state authority in Belarus in particular by means of binding Belarus by commitments of military, economic, political or other nature;
• requests the international community’s support in that regard.

9. Regarding all transactions of the regime currently holding power in Belarus with other entities, the BNR Rada recalls that inasmuch as Alexander Lukashenka occupies illegitimately the position of the head of state of Belarus, neither he nor persons acting under his authority, mandate or on his instructions possess legitimate power to confirm legal commitments or undertake obligations on behalf of the Belarusian state. Therefore all such acts shall be liable to be void of legal force for any future government or other legal entities in Belarus.

10. Under the circumstances described the BNR Rada and its Executive Council will be obliged to continue carrying out its historical mandate, in the capacities of Belarusian Representative Assembly and Government in Exile respectively, and passing it on to a future freely elected democratic government of an independent democratic Belarusian State.

( original signed by  )
Ivonka J. Survilla
President, Rada of the Belarusian
Democratic Republic in Exile