Mr. Speaker, Polish Canadians across the country are watching with alarm the mistreatment of the Polish minority in Belarus by the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko. The arbitrary detention of Angelika Borys, chairwoman of the Union of Poles in Belarus, is but one example of the widespread human rights violations being perpetrated.
In response to mass protests after the fraudulent presidential elections last August, thousands of demonstrators, human rights activists and journalists have been arrested. Canada was the first country to impose sanctions against Belarus and provide over $3 million in support to pro-democratic organizations.
Canada stands in solidarity with the Belarusian people. We reaffirm our unequivocal condemnation of the gross human rights violations in Belarus. We will continue to hold Belarusian authorities to account, call for an end to the systematic persecution of minorities and peaceful democratic movements, and call for an immediate cessation of all violence, including the use of torture.