Speeches

Dear President, Before the summer, I requested a resolution on the persecution of political prisoners in Belarus. We have not seen it to this day, but in the meantime another prisoner, Andrei Podniebieny, died in a penal colony in Mogilev. His mother wrote: “My beloved son passed away on 3 September. My grandchildren were left without a father. The only consolation is that no one will be able to physically or mentally abuse my son anymore. I believe that God's justice will reach the guilty and no crime will go unpunished." Andrei was a political prisoner sentenced to nearly 17 years in a penal colony under inhumane conditions. This is the ninth death of a political prisoner since 2021. In a similar penal colony, in equally inhumane conditions, Andrzej Poczobut, a journalist, journalist, and steadfast man, has been arriving for the third year. It is a symbol of fighting Belarus. Soon we will decide on the award of the Sakharov Prize. So please, let's choose Andrzej Poczobut. He deserved it with his life, and your vote for his candidacy could save him from death.

Recent months in Syria have seen a new wave of violence against religious minorities, especially Christians. The murders. Kidnappings. Destruction of cemeteries. On June 22, in Damascus, in the church of Mar Elias, there was a terrorist attack during the liturgy, 25 innocent people were killed, more than 60 were injured. It was an attack not only on life, but on identity, on the presence of Christians in the Middle East. Professor Waldemar Cisło, who works in the Middle East, said: "The attack in Damascus is a tragic reflection of the situation of Christian minorities in Syria following the change of power. The death of innocent Christians exposes a real threat to which the authorities should react immediately, but not respond. The government of Ahmed al-Ghar promised equality, religious neutrality, security. Meanwhile, Sharia elements are being introduced in schools and the Islamisation of public life is progressing." I call on the European Parliament to condemn this attack and to put pressure on the new Syrian authorities so that religious minorities can live without fear. I demand the international protection of places of worship. Let us condition EU aid on respect for religious freedom. Let us show that Europe does not forget its brothers and sisters in the faith, even if they are thousands of kilometres away.

Recent months in Syria have seen a new wave of violence against religious minorities, especially Christians. The murders. Kidnappings. Destruction of cemeteries. On June 22, in Damascus, in the church of Mar Elias, there was a terrorist attack during the liturgy, 25 innocent people were killed, more than 60 were injured. It was an attack not only on life, but on identity, on the presence of Christians in the Middle East. Professor Waldemar Cisło, who works in the Middle East, said: "The attack in Damascus is a tragic reflection of the situation of Christian minorities in Syria following the change of power. The death of innocent Christians exposes a real threat to which the authorities should react immediately, but not respond. The government of Ahmed al-Ghar promised equality, religious neutrality, security. Meanwhile, Sharia elements are being introduced in schools and the Islamisation of public life is progressing." I call on the European Parliament to condemn this attack and to put pressure on the new Syrian authorities so that religious minorities can live without fear. I demand the international protection of places of worship. Let us condition EU aid on respect for religious freedom. Let us show that Europe does not forget its brothers and sisters in the faith, even if they are thousands of kilometres away.

Madam President, I'm sorry. There is a growing dictatorship in Georgia. The Georgian Dream – a pro-Russian party – is breaking the law and enacting legislation at an express pace that marginalises the opposition, liquidates independent media and silences civil society. Georgian protesters who do not agree to such a policy are brutally treated. Eight opposition leaders have been arrested in recent weeks. Former President Saakashvili is still illegally imprisoned. At the same time, the Georgian authorities are consciously implementing the strategy of strengthening relations with Russia, Belarus and Iran, i.e. the planned separation of Georgia from Europe and Western values against the will of the nation. This is a true picture of Georgia. We cannot remain passive. I call for the immediate international isolation of the Georgian Dream authorities, for maintaining contact with President Zurabishvili as the last guarantee of a course for Europe, and for the introduction of individual sanctions, including an entry ban and an asset freeze. I call for pressure for the release of all political prisoners and for the mobilisation of a support fund for Georgian civil society.

Madam President, I'm sorry. There is a growing dictatorship in Georgia. The Georgian Dream – a pro-Russian party – is breaking the law and enacting legislation at an express pace that marginalises the opposition, liquidates independent media and silences civil society. Georgian protesters who do not agree to such a policy are brutally treated. Eight opposition leaders have been arrested in recent weeks. Former President Saakashvili is still illegally imprisoned. At the same time, the Georgian authorities are consciously implementing the strategy of strengthening relations with Russia, Belarus and Iran, i.e. the planned separation of Georgia from Europe and Western values against the will of the nation. This is a true picture of Georgia. We cannot remain passive. I call for the immediate international isolation of the Georgian Dream authorities, for maintaining contact with President Zurabishvili as the last guarantee of a course for Europe, and for the introduction of individual sanctions, including an entry ban and an asset freeze. I call for pressure for the release of all political prisoners and for the mobilisation of a support fund for Georgian civil society.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Lukashenko released 30 hostages. Not prisoners, but hostages. Brutally tortured, mentally and physically devastated. Their appearance says it all. Look at the face of Siarhei Tsikhanouski. This is not a picture of a man who has regained his freedom. It's evidence of a crime. The regime does not stop. In 2025, we already have more than 1,700 detentions. Hundreds of new hostages. Pseudo-judgments work every day, as in the case of Victoria Kulsha. The fifth sentence. Dramatic state of health. indefinite detention. It's not the law. This is a system of terror. Pardons are a cynical regime game, a smokescreen. Lukashenko is weakening. Sanctions are working. And that's why they can't be soothed right now. They need to be strengthened. Hit harder and deeper. The EU must speak with one voice. No concessions. No illusions. Suspension of sanctions can only be considered in one case: the full immediate release of all political prisoners. Cancellation of all political issues. Zero new repressions. Every step backwards is an acquiescence to a crime. It's a live Belarus.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Lukashenko released 30 hostages. Not prisoners, but hostages. Brutally tortured, mentally and physically devastated. Their appearance says it all. Look at the face of Siarhei Tsikhanouski. This is not a picture of a man who has regained his freedom. It's evidence of a crime. The regime does not stop. In 2025, we already have more than 1,700 detentions. Hundreds of new hostages. Pseudo-judgments work every day, as in the case of Victoria Kulsha. The fifth sentence. Dramatic state of health. indefinite detention. It's not the law. This is a system of terror. Pardons are a cynical regime game, a smokescreen. Lukashenko is weakening. Sanctions are working. And that's why they can't be soothed right now. They need to be strengthened. Hit harder and deeper. The EU must speak with one voice. No concessions. No illusions. Suspension of sanctions can only be considered in one case: the full immediate release of all political prisoners. Cancellation of all political issues. Zero new repressions. Every step backwards is an acquiescence to a crime. It's a live Belarus.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Speaking of the situation in the Middle East, it is impossible not to mention the fate of Christians, because today they are one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world. Violent attacks are taking place in Egypt and across the region. Churches are burned, clergy kidnapped and murdered, faithful beaten, raped and killed for not renouncing their faith. The attacks in Tanta and Alexandria, Egypt, more than 45 killed during Mass on Palm Sunday, an attack on a pilgrim bus in Minji, 33 Christians murdered by gunshots to the head. The last appalling case – the removal of St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai from the Christian community – is systemic, ruthless terror and planned politics. The statistics are devastating. One Christian dies for his faith every six minutes. The Middle East is one of the most dangerous places. Europe cannot remain silent. If we believe in human rights, we must loudly condemn these persecutions and demand protection for Christians. Silence makes us complicit in this barbaric violence.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Speaking of the situation in the Middle East, it is impossible not to mention the fate of Christians, because today they are one of the most persecuted religious groups in the world. Violent attacks are taking place in Egypt and across the region. Churches are burned, clergy kidnapped and murdered, faithful beaten, raped and killed for not renouncing their faith. The attacks in Tanta and Alexandria, Egypt, more than 45 killed during Mass on Palm Sunday, an attack on a pilgrim bus in Minji, 33 Christians murdered by gunshots to the head. The last appalling case – the removal of St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai from the Christian community – is systemic, ruthless terror and planned politics. The statistics are devastating. One Christian dies for his faith every six minutes. The Middle East is one of the most dangerous places. Europe cannot remain silent. If we believe in human rights, we must loudly condemn these persecutions and demand protection for Christians. Silence makes us complicit in this barbaric violence.

Madam President, I'm sorry. 82 years ago, in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, there was a crime, the so-called Volhynia massacre, an ethnic cleansing carried out by Ukrainian nationalists, in which tens of thousands of Poles were brutally murdered. Today we pay tribute to these victims. The memory of them is not meant to arouse hatred. It is a reconciliation based on truth. I want to believe that the people, who themselves today are experiencing war so painfully and with such dedication are searching for their fallen, will finally understand our need to find and to bury all the victims of this crime with dignity. May the memory of the victims be our common commitment. We remember you and will always remember you.

Madam President, I'm sorry. 82 years ago, in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, there was a crime, the so-called Volhynia massacre, an ethnic cleansing carried out by Ukrainian nationalists, in which tens of thousands of Poles were brutally murdered. Today we pay tribute to these victims. The memory of them is not meant to arouse hatred. It is a reconciliation based on truth. I want to believe that the people, who themselves today are experiencing war so painfully and with such dedication are searching for their fallen, will finally understand our need to find and to bury all the victims of this crime with dignity. May the memory of the victims be our common commitment. We remember you and will always remember you.

Mr President, thank you very much. The enlargement of the European Union to new countries, such as Ukraine, is geopolitically justified. However, it has serious economic consequences, especially for countries such as Poland. We are already seeing the impact of increasing competition from Ukraine in key sectors such as road transport and agriculture. In response to Russia’s aggression, the European Union liberalised Ukraine’s access to the single market in 2022, completely abolishing tariffs and quotas and giving up the licensing system for road transport. Officially motivated by solidarity, these actions have created significant social tensions in the Member States. The biggest beneficiaries of these activities were powerful agroholdings, including those controlled by international capital. You said that you cared about Ukrainian farmers, that it was an expression of solidarity with the fighting country. In fact, it was to support international players in strengthening their position on the European market at the expense of our farmers, at the expense of our processors. This is not international solidarity. This is not how the enlargement of the European Union should take place.

Mr President, thank you very much. In Georgia, the lights of democracy are fading. The authorities dominated by the Georgian Dream brutally suppress the pro-democracy protests and wage an open war against the free media. Mzia Amaglobeli, a respected journalist, was arrested only for daring to protest. In her dramatic appeal, she said "I will not accept the agenda of the regime. I'm on a hunger strike. Freedom is more precious than life.” Freedom is more precious than life. Former Georgian President Saakashvili has been a political prisoner of the Ivanishvili regime for almost 4 years. The Georgian Dream, led behind the scenes by Bidzina Ivanishvili, has turned Georgia away from Europe. This country, once aspiring to join the European Union and NATO, has become a satellite of Moscow. We can't just stand by and watch it. Georgians are fighting for fundamental values. They fight for democracy, for freedom of speech, for a normal life. To support a dictatorship, to submit to it, is a crime. Indifference and silence is also a crime, ladies and gentlemen.

Madam President, I'm sorry. The Russian aggression against Ukraine has the face of a terrified Ukrainian child. Child – victims of bombing, child – orphan, child raped by Russian criminals, child brutally torn from the place of his or her previous life, deported, Russified, deprived of his or her own identity. According to Ukrainian data, Russia has deported more than 20,000 children since February 2022. The deportation and russification of Ukrainian children is a violation of Article 2 of the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Yes, it is! The abduction and expropriation of children is a crime of genocide, just as German crimes against Polish children during World War II were genocide. Of the 200,000 Polish children forcibly deported to Germany after the war, only 30,000 were found. – 15%. It's a dramatic statistic. Let's not let it happen again. We must fight for every child! But every official, every soldier, every politician involved in these crimes must be held accountable – with Putin, Lviv-Belova and Lukashenko at the forefront.

Madam President, I'm sorry. Ladies and Gentlemen, Europe’s role, our role, is to work for peace in Ukraine – but only one that is fair and lasting. It is necessary to clearly indicate who was the aggressor and who was the victim. There will be no peace without the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. There will be no peace without the return of the deported Ukrainian children, but also without the return of the Crimean Tatars to the peninsula. Finally, there will be no peace without the settlement of Russian war crimes – from Bucha to Mariupol. The European Union must be a guarantor of justice, not a return to Business as usual. Peace without justice is just a pause before another Russian aggression. That is why we need to support Ukraine militarily, politically and humanely for as long as it takes. But not at the expense of Polish agriculture, not through full liberalisation. Using all frozen Russian assets, rather than liberalising trade with Ukraine, as led by your classified work on the Association Agreement. Ladies and Gentlemen, instead of helping, do you want to quarrel with us, again? This is what Russia wants.

Mr President, thank you very much. Today, in the heart of Europe, we must say aloud: Belarus is Europe's bleeding wound! Wiktoria Kulsza – 1605 days in captivity. Volha Majorawa – 1544, Alona Hnauk – 1172 days in captivity. These women are not prisoners. They are hostages of the Lukashenka regime. Wiktoria Kulsza is dying in front of our eyes. He's going through the hell of torture. Suicide attempts, starvation, destruction of the body and psyche. The colony's administration turned the prison into a 21st century concentration camp. Volha Majorawa is losing her sight. She's being denied treatment. The regime considered her a terrorist in order to be able to kill her slowly. Alona Hnauk does not know that her children have fled persecution. Cut off from the world, brutally exploited, devoid of dignity. Andrzej Poczobut, Belarusian and Polish journalist, prisoner of conscience – imprisoned in the most severe penal colony, subjected to psychological and physical repression just for being the voice of truth. Europe must act immediately. Every day of delay is another victim of Lukashenka's terror. We demand sanctions, we demand complete isolation of the regime!

Mr President, thank you very much. The foundations of democracy and civil liberties are free media. European politicians are discussing the need to support them, as in the case of Radio Free Europe, but their actions do not prove this. Examples, Belsat TV - a medium providing reliable information to Belarusians, but also to Ukrainians and Russians. Until recently independent. Today it is only an editorial office in the structures of the Polish public television illegally taken over by the government of Donald Tusk. Belarusian section of Radio Wnet, Belarusian portals, Card 97, Nexta, Radio Racja, Radio Svoboda. Their resources were drastically reduced. These media are a window to the free world for Belarusians. Taking over the burden of EU funding is only a matter of quick and decisive decisions, Ladies and Gentlemen. You're hitting Americans for cutting media finances. In the meantime, this is first and foremost a task for Europe. It is for the struggle for membership in the European community that Belarusians face persecution, torture or imprisonment. It is time to finally take responsibility for this, ladies and gentlemen of Europe.

Mr President, thank you very much. There is another important resolution ahead of us. It raises the issue of the illegal detention and show trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan's complete annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh has triggered a humanitarian crisis and a mass exodus of Armenian civilians. This situation requires concrete actions, such as the establishment of a human rights monitoring mission, the organisation of talks between representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and making the future cooperation of the European Union with Azerbaijan conditional on progress on human rights. For years, the European Union has been interfering in the Polish democratic order. Now he plans to organize a round table on democratic presidential elections in Poland, so that the civic candidate does not win, but does not react where human rights are really violated, where this reaction should be quick. Europe, this is not the time for loud speeches and applause. I demand decisive action to solve the real problem, which is undoubtedly the situation in the Caucasus.

Madam President, thank you very much. On 21 February 2017, Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were murdered. It was a brutal execution of an investigative journalist who revealed information about informal links between the world of politics and business, and at the same time a blatant attack on journalistic freedom in Slovakia. Unfortunately, every day, journalistic freedom is hampered by opaque and authoritarian governments that try to cover up their ineptitude. In Poland, public television was forcibly and unlawfully taken over after the change of power in 2023. Independent media journalists are intimidated and denied access to Prime Minister Tusk's press conferences. They are even threatened with imprisonment. All of this is happening in Poland, where Prime Minister Tusk claims to have finally restored the rule of law – I think Lukashenko’s. Threats against journalists have nothing to do with the rule of law. We must defend journalistic freedom.

Madam President, thank you very much. The International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice are the cornerstones of the global legal system. In theory, as an international community, we have the tools to prevent violence and effectively punish criminals. Meanwhile, here in Europe, Russia is committing crimes against the Ukrainian people, and the Lukashenka regime is persecuting Belarusians fighting for freedom. As the author of the report on Russian crimes committed in eastern Ukraine, filed in The Hague, I also deal with the problems of Eastern Europe. For years, I have also unsuccessfully demanded that criminals be tried fairly and that the fate of their victims be taken care of. Unfortunately, criminals remain unpunished, as the possibility of ICJ and ICC influence is weak and ineffective, largely due to the politicization of both institutions and pressure from the aggressors. There is a need to improve the efficiency and independence of action and enforcement mechanisms. Protecting international justice is key to ensuring justice, but it requires global cooperation, depoliticisation, commitment and consistency.

Madam President, thank you very much. Shootings, attacks, rapes, gangs terrorising residents are part of the everyday life of Sweden, a recently safe country. This is the result of an open-door policy that left-wing politicians have been pursuing for years. All those who opposed the immigration policy of the European Union at the time, including my group, were accused of xenophobia. For eight years of the rule of Law and Justice, we have successfully defended Poland against the influx of refugees, including those from the east who are being attracted by Lukashenko. It was then that the current Prime Minister Donald Tusk, your pet, threatened Poles with punishments for not accepting migrants, and his party colleagues attacked the Polish border guards. That's all to get your support in the elections for which he now pays for Poland's security. Today, the European bureaucracy is forcing my country to accept migrants. Tusk pretends that he does not agree to it, but we all know that this is a simple fraud for the purposes of the presidential campaign. Soon the Poles, like the Swedes, the Germans, the French, will begin to face the consequences of your harmful decisions. You want to rule the world, and you're dragging Europe down.

Mr President, thank you very much. For two months, Georgia has been plunged into mass protests against a brutal, anti-democratic government that has rigged elections once again and, with the biggest opposition, suspended accession talks with the European Union. The authorities respond with brutal repression. Georgia is at a critical juncture, be it the direction of European values or the criminal regime of the Kremlin. As the European Parliament, we cannot stand by. We must resolutely demand sanctions against oligarch Ivanishvili, the related Georgian businessmen and politicians, the international isolation of the current government and parliament, support for Georgian independent media, assistance to pro-European organisations and independent circles, the release of former President Saakashvili and other political prisoners. We must also build, Ladies and Gentlemen, a positive direction for the European Union against Moscow's propaganda. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for decisive action! It's time to decide!

Mr President, thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen, The anti-elections organised by the Lukashenka regime are a cynical farce aimed at strengthening his power. Europe cannot be passive. We must act decisively and send a clear message. We will not tolerate a regime that tramples on human rights and fundamental democratic values. First, we should talk to the regime in the language of ultimatums. The end of half-measures, the end of compromises. Sanctions should target key sectors of the economy that support the regime: exports of fertilisers, petroleum products and other resources. They should also cover European companies operating in Belarus. We have these. Let us also cut off the regime from international financial transactions. At the same time, we must suspend the sword of Damocles, the International Criminal Court, over Lukashenko and his entourage. What is happening in Belarus is not only human rights violations, it is crimes against humanity. Secondly, we must support the democratic forces, which are the true representatives of the Belarusian people. Cooperation with them is not only a moral issue, but also a strategic one. It shows that Europe supports those who fight for freedom and dignity. We must clearly separate the regime from the people. Lukashenko is not Belarus and his regime does not represent its citizens. Ladies and Gentlemen, Europe must be a bastion of democracy and a defender of human rights. If we ignore the suffering of the Belarusians, we will betray the values on which the civilized world is built. It's a live Belarus!

Mr President, thank you very much. Thousands of Georgians have been taking to the streets for weeks in opposition to the policies of the Georgian Dream, a pro-Russian party that is pushing the country into Russia's embrace. Arrests, violence and the freezing of relations with the EU are the government's response against Georgian society. The Georgian demonstrations are held under the slogan ‘Wake up, Georgia!’. And I say: Wake up, Europe, and stand on the side of the protesters! Mrs. Kallas, what does it mean that much more can happen by December 29th? What are you waiting for? Until there's blood? Until President Zurabishvili is imprisoned, as was done with President Saakashvili? You said that the list of sanctioned persons is now ready. Then at least do it! In 2008, the Union slept through the war. The independence of Georgia and the honor of Europe were saved by the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński. We need to learn from history and make decisions decisively and without undue delay. Georgians believe in the strength of the European Union and are fighting for their future. Let's help them! (Speaker ended her speech in a language other than EU)

Madam President, thank you very much. On the basis of Rule 202, could you please explain why there will be no resolution on political prisoners in Belarus at this session? The number of political prisoners in Belarus is growing every day and can reach ten thousand. Among them is Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, one of the most persecuted opposition activists, who was brutally arrested in January 2021 in front of her four-year-old son. She has recently been diagnosed with chronic, incurable pancreatitis, which in prison conditions, in the absence of medical assistance, is a death sentence. I therefore call on the international community to take immediate action to release Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk and all political prisoners in Belarus.