This resolution states that the August 9, 2020, election in Belarus was neither free nor fair and, as such, the House of Representatives does not recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the country's legitimate president. The resolution also states that the people of Belarus have the right to determine the country's future without unwelcome intervention from outside actors and condemns the human rights violations committed by Belarusian authorities.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 124 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 124
Supporting the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations and
condemning the election rigging and subsequent violent crackdowns on
peaceful protesters by the illegitimate Lukashenka regime.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 15, 2021
Mr. Keating (for himself, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations and
condemning the election rigging and subsequent violent crackdowns on
peaceful protesters by the illegitimate Lukashenka regime.
Whereas the Republic of Belarus held a presidential election on August 9, 2020,
that was widely considered to be neither free nor fair;
Whereas official election results released by Belarusian government officials
and the unofficial exit polls conducted by domestic observers and
members of civil society presented substantially divergent data;
Whereas the presidential election took place without appropriate observation
from local independent groups and international delegations;
Whereas, since the presidential election, Belarusians have demonstrated their
strong desire and commitment to a democratic future by organizing
peaceful protests in Minsk and across the country;
Whereas Belarusian civil society, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has called
for the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the peaceful transition of
power, and the organization of new, free, and fair elections;
Whereas Belarusian opposition leaders have faced intimidation, harassment, and
detention, including direct threats leading to the forced exile of
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania as well as the kidnapping and
imprisonment of Maria Kalesnikava and other opposition leaders;
Whereas in the months since the election, Belarusian authorities have
arbitrarily detained and brutally assaulted tens of thousands of
peaceful protesters, journalists, and opposition figures, of which
hundreds remain in detention;
Whereas human rights groups have documented hundreds of ``harrowing accounts of
torture, sexual violence, and other ill-treatment of detainees arrested
for peaceful protest'';
Whereas, on August 13 and 14, 2020, relatives of detainees held in the infamous
``Akrestsina'' detention facility in Minsk recorded the sounds of
``incessant beatings which were clearly audible in the street, and
numerous voices screaming out in agony with some begging for mercy'';
Whereas thousands of Belarusians fled to neighboring countries seeking political
asylum;
Whereas independent journalists and the free media have faced intimidation,
violence, and mass arrests, and as a result, many journalists have been
held in detention for extended periods and faced criminal proceedings,
with many foreign journalists being stripped of their accreditation;
Whereas despite efforts by the Lukashenka regime to suppress independent and
free media, brave individuals, such as Ihar Losyk, Katsiaryna
Barysevich, Ekaterina Andreeva, and Darya Chultsova, among others, have
continued to show their resolve and commitment to accurately and
honestly covering the situation on the ground;
Whereas member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE), of which the United States and Belarus are members,
invoked paragraph 12 of the 1991 Moscow Document of the Conference on
the Human Dimension of the OSCE (Moscow Mechanism) to establish a
mission of experts to review allegations of human rights violations;
Whereas the OSCE Rapporteur's Report under the Moscow Mechanism on Alleged Human
Rights Violations related to the presidential elections of August 9,
2020, in Belarus, published November 5, 2020, concluded that there was
``overwhelming evidence that the presidential elections of 9 August 2020
[had] been falsified and that massive and systematic human rights
violations [had] been committed by the Belarusian security forces in
response to peaceful demonstrations and protests'';
Whereas women have played a leading role in peaceful demonstrations across the
country, protesting the police brutality and mass detentions by wearing
red and white, carrying flowers, and forming ``solidarity chains'';
Whereas the information technology (IT) industry in Belarus has played a
prominent role in the democratic movement by demanding an end to violent
oppression, as well as creating safe platforms for demonstrators to
communicate and track people who have been detained or went missing
during mass detentions;
Whereas Belarusian authorities have continually disrupted internet channels in
an attempt to limit communication among demonstrators and targeted lead
technology companies and their employees advocating for democracy;
Whereas Belarusian state-owned television channels have played a prominent role
in encouraging violence against peaceful demonstrators;
Whereas a recent survey of IT specialists found that 15 percent of IT
specialists working in Belarus have already relocated to neighboring
countries, and over 40 percent of IT specialists no longer want to work
in Belarus, resulting in a devastating loss of talent for Belarus,
possibly permanently damaging the Belarusian technology industry along
with the Belarusian economy;
Whereas hundreds of former law enforcement officers in Belarus who have defected
in defiance of illegal orders to commit human rights violations and
cover up crimes against civilians and those who have assisted law
enforcement officers in defecting have faced harassment, financial
penalties, arrest, detention, and other punitive measures;
Whereas Lukashenka's regime directs law enforcement officers to use excessive
force against peaceful demonstrators and sow terror in residential
neighborhoods;
Whereas several peaceful demonstrators have died as a result of police violence,
including 31-year-old Roman Bondarenko who was violently beaten by
plainclothes police officers and, as a result, suffered head injuries
that resulted in his death;
Whereas demonstrators have reported numerous instances of rape by officers while
being held in detention centers and have detailed violent assaults in
interrogation rooms and isolation wards that led to severe injuries;
Whereas Belarusian universities continue to expel students and dismiss educators
and researchers for participating in peaceful protests;
Whereas child protective services have threatened multiple civic activists with
termination of parental rights for bringing minor children to peaceful
protests;
Whereas factory workers at state-owned enterprises have been continuously
harassed for trying to organize independent trade unions and have been
forced to sign political letters opposing sanctions by the European
Union under threat of termination of their employment;
Whereas a transatlantic community of legislators has emerged in support of
uplifting the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people;
Whereas international advocacy, including by co-host Latvia, succeeded in
preventing the illegitimate Government of Belarus from hosting the 2021
Ice Hockey World Championship;
Whereas the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada
have enacted sanctions and other punitive measures against several
individuals and entities found responsible for the perpetration of
violence against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members, workers,
and journalists, among others;
Whereas Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues to undermine the sovereignty and
independence of Belarus through efforts to integrate Belarus into a so-
called ``Union State'' under the control of Russia;
Whereas the House of Representatives passed the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights,
and Sovereignty Act of 2020 with unanimous consent, sending a clear
message of overwhelming, bipartisan support for the democratic movement
in Belarus;
Whereas the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 was
signed into law, expanding the President's authority to impose sanctions
related to Belarus and authorizing increased assistance to counter
internet censorship and surveillance technology, support women
advocating for freedom and human rights, and support political refugees
fleeing the crackdown in Belarus, among other things;
Whereas the Belarus opposition, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, organized a Day
of Solidary on February 7, 2020, where countries, cities, and political
and elected leaders, as well as everyday citizens, demonstrated their
support for the six months of peaceful protests since the fraudulent
presidential election that took place on August 9, 2020; and
Whereas the United States and its transatlantic allies and partners must
continue to explore avenues for cooperation in support of the democratic
movement in Belarus: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) finds that the August 9, 2020, presidential election in
Belarus was neither free nor fair and, therefore, does not
recognize the government-announced results or Alyaksandr
Lukashenka as the legitimate President of Belarus;
(2) affirms that the people of Belarus have the right to
determine the future of Belarus without unwelcome intervention
from any outside actors in violation of Belarusian independence
and sovereignty;
(3) condemns the human rights violations committed by
Belarusian authorities, including against peaceful
demonstrators, civil society activists, opposition leaders,
students, educators, factory workers, medical personnel, and
journalists, and calls for such authorities to halt any further
acts of violence against civilians;
(4) calls for the immediate release of all those detained
in connection with the demonstrations or others unlawfully
detained for reporting on or protesting abuses by the
Belarusian government, including releasing those family members
of American citizens working for United States companies;
(5) calls for the protection of civil society actors and
members of the opposition against arbitrary arrest and violence
while conducting peaceful discussions relating to the peaceful
transition of power in Belarus;
(6) recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Belarusian
people and the incredible organization by Belarusian women to
peacefully demand a free and fair democratic process while
enduring the state-sponsored violence that followed the August
9, 2020, election;
(7) calls on Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Belarusian
authorities to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with
the opposition members and other stakeholders to bring about a
peaceful transition of power;
(8) recognizes the Coordination Council established by
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a legitimate institution to
participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power;
(9) calls for further targeted sanctions coordinated
between the United States, the European Union, the United
Kingdom, Canada, and other allies and partners against
Belarusian authorities who committed human rights violations
and authorities from the electoral commission who engaged in
activities that resulted in the falsification of the August 9,
2020, election results;
(10) encourages considering, in coordination with
transatlantic partners, the sanctioning of Belarusian state-
owned companies that have directly violated the rights of their
workers as a result of their participation in or in connection
to the ongoing democratic movement in Belarus;
(11) calls on the transatlantic community to review and
consider reassessing any financial assistance that supports the
Lukashenka regime, including participation in state debt
issuances or procurement contracts;
(12) supports increasing funds available for foreign
assistance to Belarusian civil society groups as well as legal
assistance for activists and independent journalists, among
others;
(13) calls for an international investigation into the
human rights abuses committed during and after the August 9,
2020, presidential election;
(14) calls for new free and fair elections under
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
observation; and
(15) continues to support the aspirations of the people of
Belarus for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and
reaffirms that the fulfillment of such aspirations is the only
way to ensure the continued strength of Belarusian sovereignty
and territorial integrity.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber.
Mr. Meeks moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1934-1937; text: CR H1934-1936)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 124.
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 330, proceedings on H. Res. 124 are considered vacated.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Passed/agreed to in House: Pursuant to section 6 of H. Res. 330, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 367; H.R. 370; H.R. 396; H.R. 397, as amended; H.R. 408; H.R. 490; H.R. 965, as amended; H.R. 1251, as amended; H.R. 1395; H.R. 1491; H.R. 1528; H.R. 1532; H.R. 1565; H.R. 1602; and H.R. 2523, as amended; and the following resolution was agreed to under suspension of the rules: H. Res. 124, as amended.(consideration: CR H1979-1994; text: CR H1992-1993)
Pursuant to section 6 of H. Res. 330, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 367; H.R. 370; H.R. 396; H.R. 397, as amended; H.R. 408; H.R. 490; H.R. 965, as amended; H.R. 1251, as amended; H.R. 1395; H.R. 1491; H.R. 1528; H.R. 1532; H.R. 1565; H.R. 1602; and H.R. 2523, as amended; and the following resolution was agreed to under suspension of the rules: H. Res. 124, as amended. (consideration: CR H1979-1994; text: CR H1992-1993)