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.

Subjects: International Affairs


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 441 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






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.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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