The elections were conducted in flagrant violation of internationally recognized standards.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to reject the official results of the August 9 presidential elections in Belarus, saying Alexander Lukashenko should no longer be recognized as president after his term expires; they have also called for tough sanctions against Minsk.
The relevant resolution was adopted at a European Parliament meeting in Brussels on Thursday, September 17.
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In particular, MEPs note the elections were conducted in flagrant violation of all internationally recognized standards.
At the same time, the European Parliament strongly supports EU sanctions against individuals, including Lukashenko, responsible for the falsification of the election results and repression in Belarus. Moreover, the EU institution calls for the immediate introduction of the sanctions.
In addition, the European Parliament condemned Russia's hybrid interference in Belarus.
"The European Parliament condemns the hybrid interference of the Russian Federation in Belarus, notably delegating so-called media experts to the Belarusian state media and advisors to the military and law enforcement agencies, and calls on the Government of the Russian Federation to halt any covert or overt interference in the internal processes of Belarus; urges the Russian Federation to respect international law and the sovereignty of Belarus; warns that Alexander Lukashenko has no political or moral mandate to enter into any further contractual relations on behalf of Belarus, including with Russian authorities, which could threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belarus," the document reads.