January 27, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have released a joint statement following Belarus’ sham presidential elections on January 26, 2025:

“We are united in our condemnation of the sham presidential elections in Belarus on January 26 and the ongoing human rights violations perpetrated by the Belarusian regime. Recently announced sanctions represent a coordinated, multilateral effort to hold the Lukashenko regime to account.

“No election can be considered free, fair or in line with international standards when it is held in a climate of ongoing repression, marked by a clampdown on civil society, arbitrary detentions, and restrictions on genuine political participation. The regime’s decision to invite the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe only 10 days before the elections prevented ODIHR’s access to key stages of the election process. These actions are at odds with Belarus’ international commitments and demonstrate a clear desire to avoid transparency in the electoral process.

“We condemn the ongoing appalling human rights violations committed by the Lukashenko regime and call on them to release the over 1,250 political prisoners who remain unjustly detained. We urge Belarus to follow its international human rights obligations and OSCE commitments in all respects, including restoring an open civil society, to create an environment in which new elections which meet international standards can be held. We stand with Belarusian people and recognise their right to determine their own future in a genuinely free and fair manner, without fear, oppression or external interference.

“We will continue to support the aspirations of the Belarusian people for a free, democratic and independent Belarus.”