IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1111 
Supporting the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations and con-
demning the election rigging and subsequent violent crackdowns on peace-
ful protestors by the Government of the Republic of Belarus. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 
Mr. KEATING (for himself, Mr. KINZINGER, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. FITZPATRICK, 
Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. RASKIN, Mrs. WAGNER, 
Mr. MEEKS, Mr. COHEN, Mr. TRONE, Mr. COSTA, and Mr. CICILLINE) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting the people of Belarus and their democratic aspi-
rations and condemning the election rigging and subse-
quent violent crackdowns on peaceful protestors by the 
Government of the Republic of Belarus. 
Whereas the Republic of Belarus held a presidential election 
on August 9, 2020, that was widely considered to be nei-
ther free nor fair; 
Whereas official election results released by Belarusian gov-
ernment officials and the unofficial exit polls conducted 
by domestic observers and members of civil society pre-
sented substantially divergent data; 
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•HRES 1111 IH 
Whereas in the months leading up to the election, Belarusian 
authorities had arbitrarily detained over 1,300 people, in-
cluding activists and journalists participating in peaceful 
protests; 
Whereas within the first 5 days of the protests following the 
August 9th election, nearly 7,000 peaceful protestors and 
journalists had been detained in Belarus; 
Whereas, as of September 1, 2020, the United Nations Office 
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had re-
ceived 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment 
by detainees; 
Whereas these peaceful demonstrations were met with vio-
lence from security services that employed barricades, 
stun grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets, and, at times, live 
ammunition; 
Whereas Amnesty International and local human rights 
groups said they have ‘‘collected horrifying testimonies 
from protesters in Belarus who describe being tortured or 
subjected to other ill-treatment in detention centers, in-
cluding being stripped naked, beaten, and threatened 
with rape’’; 
Whereas, as of August 25, 2020, dozens of protestors re-
mained missing and at least 4 Belarusians had been 
killed in violence related to the demonstrations; 
Whereas Belarusians continue to share real-time videos and 
other content documenting the brutal crackdown on 
peaceful demonstrations through social media; 
Whereas, on August 30, 2020, the Government of Belarus re-
voked the accreditation of 19 international journalists 
and deported 2 others; 
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•HRES 1111 IH 
Whereas in the days and weeks that followed, a grassroots 
movement of Belarusians has demonstrated against the 
official electoral results and demanded new elections; 
Whereas demonstrators have included people from all parts 
of Belarusian society, including men, women, and chil-
dren, students and workers, the young and the old, and 
police officers who quit their service in the wake of the 
protests; 
Whereas women have played a critical role in the protest 
movement in Belarus as demonstrators rallied behind 3 
key female opposition leaders and women have gathered 
and marched together across the country; 
Whereas across the Republic of Belarus, workers from state- 
owned companies and factories have gone on strike in sol-
idarity with the demonstrators; 
Whereas, on August 23, 2020, it is estimated that nearly 
200,000 protestors gathered in Minsk, making it the 
largest protest in Belarusian history; 
Whereas the constitution of Belarus provides that the people 
of Belarus recognize themselves as ‘‘a full-fledged subject 
of the international community’’ and believe in their ‘‘in-
alienable right to self-determination’’; and 
Whereas daily peaceful protests continue across the country 
as demonstrators can be heard chanting the lyrics of the 
demonstrators’ unofficial campaign song: ‘‘Our hearts are 
longing for changes; Our eyes are longing for changes; 
It’s in our laugh and in our tears; And it’s pulsing 
through our veins; Changes, we are longing for 
changes.’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 1111 IH 
(1) finds that the August 9, 2020, presidential 
election in Belarus was neither free nor fair and, 
therefore, does not recognize the government-an-
nounced results; 
(2) affirms that the people of Belarus have the 
right to determine the future of Belarus without 
intervention from outside actors; 
(3) condemns the human rights violations com-
mitted by Belarusian authorities, including against 
peaceful demonstrators, activists, opposition leaders, 
medical personnel, and journalists; 
(4) calls for the Government of Belarus to im-
mediately release all those detained in connection 
with the demonstrations or others unlawfully de-
tained for reporting on or protesting abuses by the 
Belarusian government and halt any further acts of 
violence against civilians, including peaceful dem-
onstrators, activists, opposition leaders, medical per-
sonnel, and journalists; 
(5) calls for the protection of civil society actors 
and members of the opposition against arbitrary ar-
rest and violence while conducting peaceful discus-
sion relating to political transitions; 
(6) recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the 
Belarusian people and the incredible organization by 
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•HRES 1111 IH 
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 the Government of Belarus to en-
gage in an open and constructive dialogue with the 
people of Belarus and individuals representing their 
interests; 
(8) calls for targeted sanctions against Belaru-
sian authorities who committed human rights viola-
tions and authorities from the electoral commission 
who engaged in activities that resulted in the fal-
sification of the August 9, 2020, election results; 
(9) urges United States sanctions and other ef-
forts in continued close coordination with the Euro-
pean Union and European Union member states to 
respond to the ongoing events in Belarus; 
(10) calls for an international investigation into 
the human rights abuses committed during and after 
the August 9, 2020, presidential election; 
(11) 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 con-
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•HRES 1111 IH 
tinued strength of Belarusian sovereignty and terri-
torial integrity; 
(12) affirms that the people of Belarus must be 
provided the self-determination to choose their own 
leaders through a truly free and fair election under 
independent observation; and 
(13) emphasizes that only a peaceful and demo-
cratic process will provide sustainable solutions for 
the people of Belarus. 
Æ 
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