[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1111 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1111

 Supporting the people of Belarus and their democratic aspirations and 
 condemning the election rigging and subsequent violent crackdowns on 
   peaceful 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 aspirations and 
 condemning the election rigging and subsequent 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 neither free nor fair;
Whereas official election results released by Belarusian government officials 
        and the unofficial exit polls conducted by domestic observers and 
        members of civil society presented substantially divergent data;
Whereas in the months leading up to the election, Belarusian authorities had 
        arbitrarily detained over 1,300 people, including 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 received 450 documented cases of 
        torture and ill-treatment by detainees;
Whereas these peaceful demonstrations were met with violence 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, including being stripped naked, beaten, and threatened with 
        rape'';
Whereas, as of August 25, 2020, dozens of protestors remained 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 revoked the accreditation 
        of 19 international journalists and deported 2 others;
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 children, 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 solidarity 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 ``inalienable 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--
            (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;
            (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 committed by 
        Belarusian authorities, including against peaceful 
        demonstrators, activists, opposition leaders, medical 
        personnel, and journalists;
            (4) calls for the Government of Belarus to immediately 
        release all those detained in connection with the 
        demonstrations or others unlawfully detained for reporting on 
        or protesting abuses by the Belarusian government and halt any 
        further acts of violence against civilians, including peaceful 
        demonstrators, activists, opposition leaders, medical 
        personnel, and journalists;
            (5) calls for the protection of civil society actors and 
        members of the opposition against arbitrary arrest and violence 
        while conducting peaceful discussion relating to political 
        transitions;
            (6) recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Belarusian 
        people and the incredible organization by 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 engage in an open 
        and constructive dialogue with the people of Belarus and 
        individuals representing their interests;
            (8) calls for targeted sanctions against Belarusian 
        authorities who committed human rights violations and 
        authorities from the electoral commission who engaged in 
        activities that resulted in the falsification of the August 9, 
        2020, election results;
            (9) urges United States sanctions and other efforts in 
        continued close coordination with the European 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 continued strength of Belarusian sovereignty 
        and territorial 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 democratic process 
        will provide sustainable solutions for the people of Belarus.
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