Press Statement by the European Green Party Co-Chairs
The European Green Party has expressed outrage at the sentencing of Dmitry Kuchuk, former leader of the now dissolved Belarusian Green Party, to six years in a high-security penal colony and a fine of approx. €6,000.
This appears to be yet another sign that President Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator and Putin-ally who has run the country since 1994, is tightening his grip on the country ahead of elections on 26 January, in just over two weeks
The sentencing of Dmitry Kuchuk was announced on 24 December 2024 following Dmitry Kuchuk’s detention on 16 February 2024 near the Russian embassy in Minsk after laying flowers in memory of the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny. Kuchuk was found guilty of participating in peaceful protests in August 2020, but also on completely unsubstantiated charges of “calling for the overthrow of state power”.
The lack of evidence on the second charge, and significant procedural violations during the preparation of the trial, which were revealed in court, show that this sentencing is a political tool to suppress legitimate opposition in Belarus.
We call upon the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Dmitry Kuchuk, and to cease the persecution of individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. This follows the dissolution of all opposition parties including the Belarusian Greens in 2023 which the EGP vehemently condemned.
The European Green Party stands in solidarity with all those in Belarus, and who have been forced into exile, who are striving for a democratic society where human rights are respected and upheld.
Vula Tsetsi and Ciarán Cuffe
Co-Chairs, European Green Party
