OREANDA-NEWS. The members of the European Parliament did not recognise the results of the presidential elections in Belarus and called the head of state Alexander Lukashenko persona non grata in the European Union.

This is declared in a joint statement of the parliamentary political parties, published on the website of the largest faction, the European People’s Party. “The 9th August presidential elections were neither free, nor fair, and credible reports point to a victory of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. We therefore do not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as the re-elected President of Belarus and consider him a persona non grata in the European Union,” the message reads.

In addition, European parliamentarians condemned the arrests, as well as “the violence and torture perpetrated against peaceful protesters organised by Lukashenko’s regime,” intimidation of journalists and the shutdown of access to the Internet.