Written question asked by Baroness Crawley (Labour) on Thursday, 15 June 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 June 2023. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Wednesday, 28 June 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Belarus: Political Prisoners

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take any further action against the worsening situation for political prisoners in Belarus; and if so, when.

Answer: The UK Government is appalled by the brutal and ongoing repression that the Lukashenko regime conducts against its own people. We have already applied wide-ranging sanctions to Belarus in response to the regime's continued human rights violations, and are supporting further accountability measures including the International Accountability Platform for Belarus. The UK makes our solidarity with political prisoners clear, when possible attending trials and engaging with their families. We have raised political prisoners at the UN and OSCE and will continue to take every opportunity, both publicly and privately, to urge the Belarusian regime to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners and protect the human rights of its citizens.

Secondary information