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 con-
tinued 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 presi-
dential 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 ad-
ministered 
fraudulent 
presidential 
elections 
with 
Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s illegal manipulation of the vote 
totals and repression of the opposition ensuring his con-
tinued 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 fol-
lowing the fraudulent 2020 presidential elections, and the 
regime now holds more than 1,200 political prisoners in-
cluding peaceful protesters, journalists, and business 
leaders; 
Whereas the Lukashenka regime has been credibly accused of 
torture, harassment, and violence against political pris-
oners 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 numer-
ous friends of Belarus have called for the immediate re-
lease of all political prisoners in Belarus; 
Whereas the Belarusian regime has actively participated in 
Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, providing a stag-
ing 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 Govern-
ments, 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 secu-
rity and increases the risks of escalation; 
Whereas, in addition to the fraudulent January 2025 elec-
tions, previous presidential elections on August 9, 2020, 
as well as parliamentary elections on February 25, 2024, 
have been deemed fraudulent and lacked any inter-
national observers from reputable organizations; 
Whereas, in response to opposition candidates garnering sig-
nificant support both in the lead-up to and in the after-
math of the 2020 presidential election, the regime 
cracked down imprisoning thousands and arresting oppo-
sition figures like Siarhei Tsikhanouski and Maria 
Kalesnikava, as well as forcing countless others into exile; 
Whereas Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty affiliated journal-
ists 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 ad-
vocacy of Belarusians, support civil society, independent 
media, and the Belarusian people amid the regime’s on-
going crackdown, and coordinate accountability mecha-
nisms for the Lukashenka regime; 
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•HRES 73 IH 
Whereas the United States has imposed sanctions on hun-
dreds 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 abhor-
rent 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 sov-
ereign 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 ad-
vocates 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) 
strongly 
condemns 
the 
fraudulent 
Belarusian presidential elections on January 26, 
2025, which were neither free nor fair, and the 
Lukashenka regime’s continued repression and 
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•HRES 73 IH 
crackdown against the Belarusian democratic oppo-
sition; 
(2) calls on the regime to hold free and fair 
elections with credible international monitoring 
mechanisms to ensure the voices of the Belarusian 
people are accurately heard; 
(3) condemns the Lukashenka regime’s contin-
ued support for Russia’s illegal war of aggression 
against Ukraine as well as the regime’s complicity in 
the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children from 
Ukraine and the use of Belarusian territory as a 
staging ground for Russian armed forces attacks 
against Ukraine; 
(4) supports additional sanctions against the 
Lukashenka regime and officials who undermine de-
mocracy in Belarus or are complicit in Russia’s war 
of aggression against Ukraine including judges, po-
lice officials, and state-owned businesses that profit 
on the regime’s repression; 
(5) 
calls 
for 
continued 
support 
to 
the 
Belarusian democratic opposition as well as regular 
meetings of the Strategic Dialogue between the 
United States and the Belarusian democratic opposi-
tion to demonstrate the United States support for 
and solidarity with the opposition and as an avenue 
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•HRES 73 IH 
for pursuing creative solutions to continue to hold 
the Lukashenka regime accountable for its repres-
sion; 
(6) calls on the Lukashenka regime to imme-
diately release the more than 1,200 political pris-
oners who remain behind bars in Belarus; 
(7) supports allied and partner governments ef-
forts including sanctions, visa restrictions, and bilat-
eral dialogue mechanisms to hold the Lukashenka 
regime accountable and support the democratic op-
position; and 
(8) stands with the Belarusian people as they 
pursue a democratic future free from authoritarian 
repression. 
Æ 
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