Constitutional referendum in Belarus

That this House notes the plans of the regime in Belarus to hold a constitutional referendum; stresses that there are now over 1000 political prisoners in Belarus while 241 NGOs and 40 media outlets have been closed down; highlights the imprisonment of the Belsat journalists, Darya Chultsova and Katsyaryna Andreyeva; emphasises that there is an ongoing pattern of repression of any freedom of speech and a purge of anyone in state employment who has expressed any dissent against the governing regime; believes that, in these circumstances, the upcoming Belarusian constitutional referendum cannot be viewed as free and fair; and calls on the governing regime in Belarus to allow civil society and the independent media to operate to allow for a genuine national debate over these proposed changes.