112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 515 

AN ACT 

To reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Belarus Democracy 

3 and Human Rights Act of 2011’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

5 Sections 2 and 3 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 

6 2004 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is 

7 amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

9 ‘‘Congress finds the following: 

10 ‘‘(1) The Government of Belarus has engaged 

11 in a pattern of clear and uncorrected violations of 

12 human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

13 ‘‘(2) The Government of Belarus has engaged 

14 in a pattern of clear and uncorrected violations of 

15 basic principles of democratic governance, including 

16 through a series of fundamentally flawed presi17 dential and parliamentary elections undermining the 

18 legitimacy of executive and legislative authority in 

19 that country. 

20 ‘‘(3) The Government of Belarus has subjected 

21 thousands of pro-democratic political activists to 

22 harassment, beatings, and jailings, particularly as a 

23 result of their attempts to peacefully exercise their 

24 right to freedom of assembly and association. 

25 ‘‘(4) The Government of Belarus has attempted 

26 to maintain a monopoly over the country’s informa-
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1 tion space, targeting independent media, including 

2 independent journalists, for systematic reprisals and 

3 elimination, while suppressing the right to freedom 

4 of speech and expression of those dissenting from 

5 the dictatorship of Aleksandr Lukashenka, and 

6 adopted laws restricting the media, including the 

7 Internet, in a manner inconsistent with international 

8 human rights agreements. 

9 ‘‘(5) The Government of Belarus continues a 

10 systematic campaign of harassment, repression, and 

11 closure of nongovernmental organizations, including 

12 independent trade unions and entrepreneurs, and 

13 this crackdown has created a climate of fear that in14 hibits the development of civil society and social soli15 darity. 

16 ‘‘(6) The Government of Belarus has subjected 

17 leaders and members of select ethnic and religious 

18 minorities to harassment, including the imposition of 

19 heavy fines and denying permission to meet for reli20 gious services, sometimes by selective enforcement of 

21 the 2002 Belarus religion law. 

22 ‘‘(7) The Government of Belarus has attempted 

23 to silence dissent by persecuting human rights and 

24 pro-democracy activists with threats, firings, expul25 sions, beatings and other forms of intimidation, and 
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1 restrictions on freedom of movement and prohibition 

2 of international travel. 

3 ‘‘(8) The dictator of Belarus, Aleksandr 

4 Lukashenka, established himself in power by orches5 trating an illegal and unconstitutional referendum 

6 that enabled him to impose a new constitution, abol7 ishing the duly elected parliament, the 13th Su8 preme Soviet, installing a largely powerless National 

9 Assembly, extending his term in office, and removing 

10 applicable term limits. 

11 ‘‘(9) The Government of Belarus has failed to 

12 make a convincing effort to solve the cases of dis13 appeared opposition figures Yuri Zakharenka, Viktor 

14 Gonchar, and Anatoly Krasovsky and journalist 

15 Dmitry Zavadsky, even though credible allegations 

16 and evidence links top officials of the Government to 

17 these disappearance. 

18 ‘‘(10) The Government of Belarus has re19 stricted freedom of expression on the Internet by re20 quiring Internet Service Providers to maintain data 

21 on Internet users and the sites they view and to pro22 vide such data to officials upon request, and by cre23 ating a government body with the authority to re24 quire Internet Service Providers to block Web sites. 
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1 ‘‘(11) On December 19, 2010, the Government 

2 of Belarus conducted a presidential election that 

3 failed to meet the standards of the Organization for 

4 Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for 

5 democratic elections. 

6 ‘‘(12) After the December 19, 2010, presi7 dential election the Government of Belarus re8 sponded to opposition protests by beating scores of 

9 protestors and detaining more than 600 peaceful 

10 protestors. 

11 ‘‘(13) After the December 19, 2010, presi12 dential election the Government of Belarus jailed 

13 seven of the nine opposition presidential candidates 

14 and abused the process of criminal prosecution to 

15 persecute them. 

16 ‘‘(14) After the December 19, 2010, presi17 dential election, the Government of Belarus dis18 rupted independent broadcast and Internet media, 

19 and engaged in repressive actions against inde20 pendent journalists. 

21 ‘‘(15) After the December 19, 2010, presi22 dential election, Belarusian security services and po23 lice conducted raids targeting civil society groups, 

24 individual pro-democracy activists, and independent 

25 media. 
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1 ‘‘(16) After the December 19, 2010, presi2 dential election, Belarusian officials refused to ex3 tend the mandate of the OSCE Office in Minsk. 

4 ‘‘(17) After the December 19, 2010, presi5 dential election, opposition candidates and activists 

6 have been persecuted and detainees have been phys7 ically mistreated, and denied access to family, de8 fense counsel, medical treatment, and open legal 

9 proceedings. 

10 ‘‘(18) After the December 19, 2010, presi11 dential election, lawyers representing those facing 

12 criminal charges related to the post-election protest 

13 have been subjected to the revocation of licenses, 

14 disbarment, and other forms of pressure. 

15 ‘‘(19) After the December 19, 2010, presi16 dential election, the Government of Belarus has con17 victed political detainees to harsh prison sentences. 

18 ‘‘(20) After the December 19, 2010, presi19 dential election, the United States and European 

20 Union imposed targeted travel and financial sanc21 tions on an expanded list of officials of the Govern22 ment of Belarus. 

23 ‘‘(21) After the December 19, 2010, presi24 dential election, the United States fully restored 

25 sanctions against Belarus’s largest state-owned pe-
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1 troleum and chemical conglomerate and all of its 

2 subsidiaries. 

3 ‘‘(22) After the December 19, 2010, presi4 dential election, the United States has engaged in 

5 assistance efforts to provide legal and humanitarian 

6 assistance to those facing repression and preserving 

7 access to independent information, and has pledged 

8 resources to support human rights advocates, trade 

9 unions, youth and environmental groups, business 

10 associations, think-tanks, democratic political parties 

11 and movements, independent journalists, newspapers 

12 and electronic media operating both inside Belarus 

13 and broadcasting from its neighbors, and to support 

14 access of Belarusian students to independent higher 

15 education and expand exchange programs for busi16 ness and civil society leaders. 

17 ‘‘(23) The Department of State, the Depart18 ment of the Treasury, and other executive branch 

19 agencies have heretofore made effective use of this 

20 Act to promote the purposes of this Act, as stated 

21 in section 3 of this Act. 

22 ‘‘SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 

23 ‘‘It is the policy of the United States to— 

24 ‘‘(1) condemn the conduct of the December 19, 

25 2010, presidential election and crackdown on opposi-
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1 tion candidates, political leaders, and activists, civil 

2 society representatives, and journalists; 

3 ‘‘(2) continue to call for the immediate release 

4 without preconditions of all political prisoners in 

5 Belarus, including all those individuals detained in 

6 connection with the December 19, 2010, presidential 

7 election; 

8 ‘‘(3) continue to support the aspirations of the 

9 people of Belarus for democracy, human rights, and 

10 the rule of law; 

11 ‘‘(4) continue to support the aspirations of the 

12 people of Belarus to preserve the independence and 

13 sovereignty of their country; 

14 ‘‘(5) continue to support the growth of demo15 cratic movements and institutions in Belarus, which 

16 empower the people of Belarus to end tyranny in 

17 their country; 

18 ‘‘(6) continue to refuse to accept the results of 

19 the fundamentally flawed December 19, 2010, presi20 dential election held in Belarus, and to support calls 

21 for new presidential and parliamentary elections, 

22 conducted in a manner that is free and fair accord23 ing to OSCE standards; 
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1 ‘‘(7) continue to call for the fulfillment by the 

2 Belarusian government of Belarus’s freely under3 taken obligations as an OSCE participating state; 

4 ‘‘(8) continue to call for a full accounting of the 

5 disappearances of opposition leaders and journalists 

6 in Belarus, including Victor Gonchar, Anatoly 

7 Krasovsky, Yuri Zakharenka, and Dmitry Zavadsky, 

8 and the prosecution of those individuals who are in 

9 any way responsible for the disappearance of those 

10 opposition leaders and journalists; 

11 ‘‘(9) continue to work closely with the Euro12 pean Union and other countries and international 

13 organizations, to promote the conditions necessary 

14 for the integration of Belarus into the European 

15 family of democracies; 

16 ‘‘(10) call on the International Ice Hockey Fed17 eration to suspend its plan to hold the 2014 Inter18 national World Ice Hockey championship in Minsk 

19 until the Government of Belarus releases all political 

20 prisoners; and 

21 ‘‘(11) remain open to reevaluating United 

22 States policy toward Belarus as warranted by de23 monstrable progress made by the Government of 

24 Belarus consistent with the aims of this Act as stat25 ed in this section.’’. 
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1 SEC. 3. RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTING TO 

2 BELARUS. 

3 Section 5 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

4 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended 

5 to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 5. RADIO, TELEVISION, AND INTERNET BROAD7 CASTING TO BELARUS. 

8 ‘‘It is the sense of Congress that the President should 

9 continue to support radio, television, and Internet broad10 casting to the people of Belarus in languages spoken in 

11 Belarus, by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Voice 

12 of America, European Radio for Belarus, and Belsat.’’. 

13 SEC. 4. SANCTIONS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF 

14 BELARUS. 

15 Section 6 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

16 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amend17 ed— 

18 (1) in subsection (b)— 

19 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or ex20 pression, including those individuals jailed 

21 based on political beliefs or expression in con22 nection with repression that attended the presi23 dential election of December 19, 2010’’ before 

24 the period at the end; 

25 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, in26 cluding politically motivated legal charges made 
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1 in connection with repression that attended the 

2 presidential election of December 19, 2010’’ be3 fore the period at the end; 

4 (C) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘and 

5 violations of human rights, including violations 

6 of human rights committed in connection with 

7 the presidential election of December 19, 2010’’ 

8 before the period at the end; and 

9 (D) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘inter10 nationally recognized observers’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘OSCE observers’’; 

12 (2) in subsection (c)— 

13 (A) in paragraph (2)— 

14 (i) by striking ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’ 

15 and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; and 

16 (ii) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 

17 (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe18 riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

19 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

20 paragraphs: 

21 ‘‘(4) is a member of any branch of the security 

22 or law enforcement services of Belarus and has par23 ticipated in the violent crackdown on opposition 

24 leaders, journalists, and peaceful protestors that oc-
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1 curred in connection with the presidential election of 

2 December 19, 2010; or 

3 ‘‘(5) is a member of any branch of the security 

4 or law enforcement services of Belarus and has par5 ticipated in the persecution or harassment of reli6 gious groups, human rights defenders, democratic 

7 opposition groups, or independent media or journal8 ists.’’; 

9 (3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘of each inter10 national financial institution to which’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘at each international financial institution of 

12 which’’; and 

13 (4) in subsection (f)(2)(B)(ii), by striking ‘‘(as 

14 defined in section 40102 of title 49, United States 

15 Code)’’. 

16 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

17 Section 8(a) of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

18 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amend19 ed— 

20 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 

21 striking ‘‘this Act’’ and inserting ‘‘the Belarus De22 mocracy and Human Rights Act of 2011’’; 

23 (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘sale or deliv24 ery of weapons or weapons-related technologies’’ and 

25 inserting ‘‘sale or delivery or provision of weapons or 
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1 weapons-related technologies or weapons-related 

2 training’’; 

3 (3) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘involved in 

4 the sale’’ and inserting ‘‘or weapons-related training 

5 involved in the sale or delivery or provision’’; 

6 (4) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘or weapons7 related training described in paragraph (1)’’ before 

8 the period at the end; and 

9 (5) by adding at the end the following new 

10 paragraph: 

11 ‘‘(5) The cooperation of the Government of 

12 Belarus with any foreign government or organization 

13 for purposes related to the censorship or surveillance 

14 of the Internet, or the purchase or receipt by the 

15 Government of Belarus of any technology or training 

16 from any foreign government or organization for 

17 purposes related to the censorship or surveillance of 

18 the Internet.’’. 

19 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

20 Section 9 of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 

21 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amend22 ed— 

23 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Committee 

24 on International Relations’’ and inserting ‘‘Com25 mittee on Foreign Affairs’’; and 
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1 (2) in paragraph (3)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking 

3 ‘‘and prosecutors’’ and inserting ‘‘, prosecutors, 

4 and heads of professional associations and edu5 cational institutions’’; and 

6 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

7 ‘‘Lukashenka regime’’ and inserting ‘‘Govern8 ment of Belarus’’. 

9 SEC. 7. FUNDING FOR REPORT. 

10 The requirement to prepare and transmit the report 

11 required under section 8 of the Belarus Democracy Act 

12 of 2004 (Public Law 109–480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note), as 

13 amended by section 5 of this Act, shall be performed with14 in current levels of authorized and appropriated funding. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 6, 2011. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 515 

AN ACT 

To reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.