M-394 Ukraine and neighbouring countries

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) take note of the democratic regression of Ukraine and the political situation in Belarus as a cause for concern for countries within the Community of Democracies as affirmed by the Vilnius Declaration; (b) observe that the Ukrainian leadership has, by imprisonment, violated the human rights and freedoms of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and other opposition members, despite disapproval from the international community; (c) reiterate the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s deep concern about the politicization of the Ukrainian judicial system and unfair and unjust trials of political prisoners; (d) take note that the political situation in Belarus has deteriorated since the elections of President Alyaksandar Lukashenka with repressive measures being taken against members and institutions of Belarusian society, despite repeated calls from the international community to halt these measures immediately; (e) observe that Russian Federation’s recent Presidential and Parliamentary Elections have sparked public dissent and continued state repression of fundamental rights including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and the safety and security of the person; (f) reiterate that Canada, as a member of the Community of Democracies, and as a strong supporter of international cooperation and democratic development, has articulated its obligation to “strengthen and defend freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law around the world”; (g) urge the humane treatment of all political prisoners in Ukraine and deplore, as politically motivated, the Ukrainian government’s trial and imprisonment of opposition leaders including Yulia Tymoshenko; (h) condemn the Belarusian regime for its persecution and imprisonment of members from the political opposition; (i) urge Belarusian authorities to allow political parties and civil society groups to hold public meetings and have access to an independent media, and urge the same authorities to release members of opposition from prisons and end their torturing; (j) reaffirm its support for sanctions on the Belarusian regime and increase pressure for the implementation of internal democratic reforms and the release of political prisoners in Belarus; (k) call upon the Belarusian authorities to conduct upcoming parliamentarian elections according to the standards and norms defined by the OSCE organization and call for elections to be watched by international observers; (l) affirm that the people of the Russian Federation should be allowed to live in a truly democratic society while enjoying a full spectrum of civil and political liberties in the near future, and urge the Russian government to initiate the necessary internal democratic reforms to attain these goals; (m) support the efforts of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova to further their advancement of democratic reforms, and reiterate the call for the Russian Federation to withdraw its armed forces from both territories; and (n) encourage the Community of Democracies governments to continually monitor the status of democracy processes in the world including Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.