UEFA must ban Belarus from competitions
Belarus should not be allowed to compete in UEFA competitions while enabling war and violating human rights, say the Scottish Greens.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP has written to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin urging the football body to ban Belarus from all competitions. His call comes ahead of upcoming World Cup qualifiers, including two fixtures between Scotland’s Men’s National Team and Belarus.
In his letter, Mr Harvie highlights serious concerns over Belarus’ support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. He describes Belarus as a key enabler of the war, pointing to its role in allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory to launch attacks on Ukraine.
The Green MSP also draws attention to the human rights crisis within Belarus itself. Since leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed to win 80% of the vote in the widely disputed 2020 presidential elections, the country has seen a steep decline in civil liberties, with reports of political prisoners, torture, and violent crackdowns on peaceful protests.
Mr Harvie said:
“Belarus is not just failing to uphold basic human rights at home - it is actively participating in a senseless war abroad. Lukashenko is a brutal authoritarian leader, he must be held to account, not given the platform to sports-wash his horrific humanitarian crimes.
“UEFA rightly banned Russia for their criminal domestic and international record. As a close ally helping to wage the same wars at home and abroad, why should Belarus be treated any differently?
“The continued participation of Belarusian sports teams in UEFA competitions flies in the face of the organisation’s own supposed values, particularly its RESPECT campaign, which promotes fairness, dignity and human rights in football.
“Football doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It sends a message to the world. Now is the time for UEFA to show leadership and ensure that the message is one of peace, an end to complicity and an adherence to human rights.
“Now is the time to take a stand, Belarus must follow Russia, as well as other nations committing unspeakable crimes, and be made a sporting pariah state until international law is restored.”
Text of Letter from Patrick Harvie to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin
Dear Mr. Čeferin,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I write today as a concerned citizen and Member of the Scottish Parliament with significant concerns relating to continued Belarusian involvement in UEFA football competitions and the subsequent threat that their inclusion poses to UEFA’s values of unity, fair play and respect within football.
In light of Scotland’s Men's team drawing Belarus in the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, I believe it is imperative for Scotland’s political representatives to speak out about the hugely problematic inclusion of Belarus given its complicity in Russian aggression and its troubling human rights record.
I urge UEFA to reconsider Belarus's participation in its competitions, in light of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and Belarus’s complicity in Russia’s unlawful war of aggression.
As I am sure you are aware, Belarus has become a key enabler of Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The Belarusian regime, under President Alexander Lukashenko, has allowed its territory to be used as a launchpad for Russian forces, contributing directly to the suffering and destruction in Ukraine. This ongoing support for Russia’s aggression is a clear and unacceptable violation of international law and the fundamental principles of peace and human rights.
Furthermore, Belarus’s domestic human rights record continues to be appalling. Since the contested presidential elections of 2020, the Belarusian government has consistently violated the rights of its citizens, including the suppression of peaceful protest, arbitrary detention, and the torture of political opponents and dissidents. Numerous international organisations, including the United Nations and the European Union, have condemned the actions of the Belarusian government in the strongest terms.
The ongoing abuse of human rights in Belarus must force a re-evaluation of the country’s eligibility to participate in international sporting events, where respect for human dignity should be paramount.
Indeed, a month after Russia resumed its invasion of Ukraine, in March 2022, UEFA announced it was imposing specific restrictions on Belarus with immediate effect. UEFA banned the nation from hosting any international matches, either at club or national team level, as well as barring any spectators from attending games. It does not seem logical that UEFA are willing to take decisive action to remove Russia entirely from its competitions yet invite a key Russian ally which is complicit in the ongoing murder of innocent Ukrainians to continue as a UEFA member nation. It is morally incomprehensible that UEFA continues to promote its very laudable RESPECT campaign whilst allowing a nation that is stationing Putin’s ballistic missiles to compete.
In this context, I urge UEFA to take a strong and decisive stance by excluding Belarus from its competitions until such time as the country ceases its support for Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and takes substantial steps to address its widespread human rights violations. Belarus’s continued participation not only tarnishes the credibility of UEFA but also undermines the organisation’s commitment to promoting peace and respect in the footballing community.
We have already seen the importance of sports sending a message about human rights and justice. UEFA’s previous decision to suspend Russian teams and clubs from its competitions in response to the war in Ukraine was a positive and necessary step in aligning sports with ethical values. It is crucial that Belarus, which shares complicity in these actions, is held to the same standards.
UEFA must, as an organisation committed to the values of peace, respect and fairness, take this opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the face of global crises and ensure that its competitions strive to be a platform for moral integrity.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. I look forward to your response and hope that UEFA will take meaningful action in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
Patrick Harvie
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Co-Leader of the Scottish Green Party