IV 

119TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 73 

Condemning the fraudulent January 2025 Belarusian presidential election 

and the Lukashenka regime’s continued autocratic rule, calling for continued support for the people of Belarus who seek a democratic future, 

and calling for free and fair elections in Belarus in line with international 

standards. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2025 

Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. KAPTUR, and 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the fraudulent January 2025 Belarusian presidential election and the Lukashenka regime’s continued 

autocratic rule, calling for continued support for the 

people of Belarus who seek a democratic future, and 

calling for free and fair elections in Belarus in line 

with international standards. 

Whereas, on January 26, 2025, the Lukashenka regime administered fraudulent presidential elections with 

Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s illegal manipulation of the vote 

totals and repression of the opposition ensuring his continued corrupt rule of Belarus; 


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•HRES 73 IH 

Whereas, the January 26, 2025, fraudulent elections did not 

reflect the will of the Belarusian people who seek a free 

and democratic future; 

Whereas Alyaksandr Lukashenka has ruled Belarus for more 

than 30 years and has consolidated his authoritarian rule 

through attacks on civil society, fraudulent elections, and 

repression of any semblance of opposition to his rule; 

Whereas Lukashenka and his cronies have greatly intensified 

their abhorrent crackdown on civil society including following the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, and the 

regime now holds more than 1,200 political prisoners including peaceful protesters, journalists, and business 

leaders; 

Whereas the Lukashenka regime has been credibly accused of 

torture, harassment, and violence against political prisoners forcing unlawfully detained individuals to sleep in 

damp cells, depriving them of family visits and outside 

contact, and regularly abusing and humiliating prisoners; 

Whereas the United States, the European Union, and numerous friends of Belarus have called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus; 

Whereas the Belarusian regime has actively participated in 

Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, providing a staging ground for Russian ground forces as well as air and 

missile attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure; 

Whereas public reporting has shown that, at the direction 

and coordination of the Belarusian and Russian Governments, more than 2,400 children have been transported 

from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine to facilities in 

Belarus where abducted children are forced to undergo 


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•HRES 73 IH 

political and cultural reeducation as well as military 

training to serve the interests of Belarus and Russia; 

Whereas Lukashenka has said his country is hosting dozens 

of Russian nuclear weapons which threatens global security and increases the risks of escalation; 

Whereas, in addition to the fraudulent January 2025 elections, previous presidential elections on August 9, 2020, 

as well as parliamentary elections on February 25, 2024, 

have been deemed fraudulent and lacked any international observers from reputable organizations; 

Whereas, in response to opposition candidates garnering significant support both in the lead-up to and in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, the regime 

cracked down imprisoning thousands and arresting opposition figures like Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Maria 

Kalesnikava, as well as forcing countless others into exile; 

Whereas Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty affiliated journalists Andrey Kuznechyk and Ihar Losik as well as former 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Ihar Karney 

remain wrongfully imprisoned in Belarus and have been 

recognized by international human rights organizations 

as political prisoners; 

Whereas, in direct response to the fraudulent August 9, 

2020, Belarusian presidential elections, the United States 

has initiated a Strategic Dialogue with the Belarusian 

democratic movement and civil society to increase the advocacy of Belarusians, support civil society, independent 

media, and the Belarusian people amid the regime’s ongoing crackdown, and coordinate accountability mechanisms for the Lukashenka regime; 


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•HRES 73 IH 

Whereas the United States has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Belarusian individuals and entities which enable 

the regime’s repression of the Belarusian people as well 

as numerous visa restrictions against regime officials and 

affiliates for their ongoing undermining of democracy in 

Belarus; 

Whereas European national governments and the European 

Union as well as other allies and partners have imposed 

sanctions against the Lukashenka regime for its abhorrent crackdown on political prisoners, its facilitation of 

the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children, and its 

participation in Russia’s war of aggression against a sovereign Ukraine; 

Whereas the United States has provided more than 

$140,000,000 in assistance to Belarus since the 2020 

fraudulent presidential elections to further the strong 

partnership between the people of Belarus who support 

democracy and rule of law and the United States; 

Whereas the United States has committed to regular dialogue 

with the Belarusian democratic opposition; and 

Whereas the Belarusian people are tireless and dedicated advocates for their freedom amid an intense environment of 

repression which exists inside of Belarus and the regime’s 

efforts to silence Belarusians who live in exile around the 

world: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) strongly condemns the fraudulent 

3 Belarusian presidential elections on January 26, 

4 2025, which were neither free nor fair, and the 

5 Lukashenka regime’s continued repression and 


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•HRES 73 IH 

1 crackdown against the Belarusian democratic oppo2 sition; 

3 (2) calls on the regime to hold free and fair 

4 elections with credible international monitoring 

5 mechanisms to ensure the voices of the Belarusian 

6 people are accurately heard; 

7 (3) condemns the Lukashenka regime’s contin8 ued support for Russia’s illegal war of aggression 

9 against Ukraine as well as the regime’s complicity in 

10 the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children from 

11 Ukraine and the use of Belarusian territory as a 

12 staging ground for Russian armed forces attacks 

13 against Ukraine; 

14 (4) supports additional sanctions against the 

15 Lukashenka regime and officials who undermine de16 mocracy in Belarus or are complicit in Russia’s war 

17 of aggression against Ukraine including judges, po18 lice officials, and state-owned businesses that profit 

19 on the regime’s repression; 

20 (5) calls for continued support to the 

21 Belarusian democratic opposition as well as regular 

22 meetings of the Strategic Dialogue between the 

23 United States and the Belarusian democratic opposi24 tion to demonstrate the United States support for 

25 and solidarity with the opposition and as an avenue 


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•HRES 73 IH 

1 for pursuing creative solutions to continue to hold 

2 the Lukashenka regime accountable for its repres3 sion; 

4 (6) calls on the Lukashenka regime to imme5 diately release the more than 1,200 political pris6 oners who remain behind bars in Belarus; 

7 (7) supports allied and partner governments ef8 forts including sanctions, visa restrictions, and bilat9 eral dialogue mechanisms to hold the Lukashenka 

10 regime accountable and support the democratic op11 position; and 

12 (8) stands with the Belarusian people as they 

13 pursue a democratic future free from authoritarian 

14 repression. 

Æ 


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