The EaP CSF Steering Committee condemns the decision of the Belarusian authorities to proceed with the inauguration of Aliaksandr Lukashenka as President of the Republic of Belarus for his sixth term, despite the clear and unequivocal rejection of the results of the 9 August presidential election as fraudulent by the Belarusian people and the international community.

Having taken place against the backdrop of mass protests and repressive violence, the inauguration represents the authorities’ disregard for the will of the Belarusian people and for international human rights standards.

The illegitimate inauguration shows that Aliaksandr Lukashenka has no intention of standing down from power. Therefore, the Steering Committee urges the heads of the European institutions, and the Presidents and Prime Ministers of the EU member states, to restate their non-recognition of Mr. Lukashenka as the legitimate President of the Republic of Belarus, unreservedly and without delay.

Members of the Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum

Zaur Akbar, Youth Club Public Union, Azerbaijan

Olga Chyzhova, Digital Communication Network, Estonia

Ina Coseru, National Environmental Center, Moldova

Lousineh Hakobyan, Europe in Law Association, Armenia

Mikayel Hovhannisyan, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, Armenia

Shahla Ismayil, Women’s Association for Rational Development (WARD), Azerbaijan

Maksym Koriavets, Polissya Foundation for International and Regional Studies, Ukraine

Mikalai Kvantaliani, Association “New Group”, Belarus

Natia Kuprashvili, Journalism Resource Center, Georgia

Adrian Lupusor, Expert-Grup, Moldova

Tatiana Marian, National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova

Sofia Strive, ForumCiv, Sweden

Yurii Vdovenko, Center for Cross-Border Cooperation, Ukraine