This resolution finds that the August 9, 2020, election in Belarus was neither free nor fair and does not recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimate president of Belarus. The resolution condemns human rights violations committed by Belarusian authorities, calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners, and calls for new elections under the observation of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 441 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 441
Condemning the authoritarian repression of the Belarusian democracy
movement by the Lukashenka regime and calling for the release of all
political prisoners as well as free and fair elections.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 24, 2023
Mr. Keating (for himself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr.
Wilson of South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning the authoritarian repression of the Belarusian democracy
movement by the Lukashenka regime and calling for the release of all
political prisoners as well as free and fair elections.
Whereas the Republic of Belarus is an authoritarian state currently under the
rule of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who maintains tight control over military
and security forces;
Whereas Freedom House has rated Belarus 8 on a scale of 100, classifying the
country as ``not free'' and stating that ``Belarus is an authoritarian
state in which elections are openly rigged and civil liberties are
severely restricted'';
Whereas the Republic of Belarus held a Presidential election on August 9, 2020,
that was found neither free nor fair by international observation
groups;
Whereas the August 2020 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, across the country, and around the world;
Whereas women play a leading role in the Belarusian democratic movement as both
opposition leaders and organizers of peaceful demonstrations;
Whereas Belarus' democratic opposition, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and
Belarusian civil society have called for the resignation of Alyaksandr
Lukashenka, as well as the peaceful transition of power, the
organization of new, free, and fair elections, and the release of all
political prisoners;
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 countless opposition leaders and activists;
Whereas, since the 2020 election, Belarusian authorities have arbitrarily
detained and brutally assaulted tens of thousands of peaceful
protesters, journalists, and opposition figures, of which 1,516 remain
in detention;
Whereas human rights groups have documented hundreds of horrific accounts of
torture, including sexual violence and rape, along with other instances
of ill-treatment and excessive force used against detainees arrested for
peaceful protest;
Whereas human rights groups have also documented specific acts of violence
intended to focus on female detainees, including restricting access to
hygiene products and sanitary pads;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime has penalized the celebration of Belarusian
culture and cracked down on the use of Belarusian language in media,
books, and schools;
Whereas thousands of Belarusians have fled to neighboring countries seeking
political asylum;
Whereas independent journalists and the free media in Belarus have faced
intimidation, violence, mass arrests, and prosecution, with many foreign
journalists being stripped of their accreditation;
Whereas Belarusian blogger and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Ihar
Losik was unlawfully arrested in June 2020 and has been sentenced to 15
years in a maximum security prison on charges which represent a
violation of the rule of law and the tenets of a free press, and his
wife has also been arrested and sentenced unlawfully on the unjust
charge of facilitating extremist activity;
Whereas a transatlantic community of legislators has emerged in support of
uplifting the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people;
Whereas in response to an increase in antidemocratic policies by the Lukashenka
regime, the United States has enacted a series of punitive measures
against Belarus;
Whereas the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada
have enacted sanctions and other punitive measures against dozens of
individuals and entities found responsible for the perpetration of
violence against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members, and
journalists, among others;
Whereas Executive Order 14038 issued on August 9, 2021, which expanded the scope
of Executive Order 13405, found that ``the Belarusian regime's harmful
activities and long-standing abuses aimed at suppressing democracy and
the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Belarus--
including illicit and oppressive activities stemming from the August 9,
2020, fraudulent Belarusian presidential election and its aftermath,
such as the elimination of political opposition and civil society
organizations and the regime's disruption and endangering of
international civil air travel--constitute an unusual and extraordinary
threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United
States'';
Whereas, as of March 2023, the United States Government has designated 94
individuals, 69 entities, and 3 aircrafts pursuant to Executive Orders
13405 and 14038 including Alyaksandr Lukashenka, other Government
officials, and State-owned companies and has utilized other mechanisms
such as the Global Magnitsky Sanctions Program to impose punitive
measures on Belarusians who commit human rights violations;
Whereas, on April 8, 2022, President Biden signed the Suspending Normal Trade
Relations with Russia and Belarus Act (Public Law 117-110) and further
restricted exports to Belarus under the Export Administration
Regulations;
Whereas, since the fraudulent August 2020 Presidential election, the Belarusian
economy has been effectively isolated from the global market as
punishment for their domestic human rights abuses;
Whereas international advocacy, including by cohost Latvia, succeeded in
preventing the illegitimate Government of Belarus from hosting the 2021
Ice Hockey World Championship;
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 Alyaksandr Lukashenka is complicit in Russia's illegal war against
Ukraine by allowing Belarusian territory to be used as a staging ground
for Russian attacks into Ukraine;
Whereas Belarusian partisans have worked to undermine Russia's attacks on
Ukraine including by sabotaging Russian positions and bases in Belarus;
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 House of Representatives passed H. Res. 124 in support of 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; and
Whereas the House Friends of Belarus Caucus continues to seek ways to support
democracy 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) calls for new free and fair elections under
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
observation;
(3) affirms that the people of Belarus have the right to
determine the future of Belarus without unwelcome intervention
from the Russian Federation or any outside actors in violation
of Belarusian independence and sovereignty;
(4) condemns the human rights violations committed by
Belarusian authorities, including against peaceful
demonstrators, civil society activists, opposition leaders,
students, educators, employees at State-owned enterprises,
medical personnel, and journalists;
(5) calls for the immediate release of all political
prisoners and those unlawfully detained in connection with the
peaceful demonstrations including independent journalists;
(6) recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Belarusian
people 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) calls for the protection of civil society actors and
members of the opposition against arbitrary arrest and
violence;
(9) recognizes the Coordination Council established by
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a legitimate institution to
participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power;
(10) urges continued cooperation among the United States
and its transatlantic allies and partners to explore avenues in
support of the democratic movement in Belarus;
(11) calls for further targeted actions 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 engaged
in activities that resulted in the falsification of the August
9, 2020, election results including on individuals and entities
who violate the fundamental freedom of the press, are involved
in the harassment, assault, jailing, or arrest of journalists
or their families as a result of their journalism or otherwise
party to or involved in the suppression of a free and open
press;
(12) calls on the administration to consider the
implications of sanctions on Belarusian entities which may
further the goals of Russian or Chinese malign actors in
Belarus;
(13) supports increasing funds available for foreign
assistance to Belarusian civil society groups as well as legal
assistance for activists and independent journalists, among
others, as called for in the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights,
and Sovereignty Act of 2020; and
(14) 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 critical
to ensuring the continued strength of Belarusian sovereignty
and territorial integrity.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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