[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 124 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 124

 Supporting 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 15, 2021

 Mr. Keating (for himself, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) 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 protesters by the illegitimate Lukashenka regime.

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 the 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 and across the country;
Whereas Belarusian civil society, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has called 
        for the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the peaceful transition of 
        power, and the organization of new, free, and fair elections;
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 Maria Kalesnikava and other opposition leaders;
Whereas in the months since the election, Belarusian authorities have 
        arbitrarily detained and brutally assaulted tens of thousands of 
        peaceful protesters, journalists, and opposition figures, of which 
        hundreds remain in detention;
Whereas human rights groups have documented hundreds of ``harrowing accounts of 
        torture, sexual violence, and other ill-treatment of detainees arrested 
        for peaceful protest'';
Whereas, on August 13 and 14, 2020, relatives of detainees held in the infamous 
        ``Akrestsina'' detention facility in Minsk recorded the sounds of 
        ``incessant beatings which were clearly audible in the street, and 
        numerous voices screaming out in agony with some begging for mercy'';
Whereas thousands of Belarusians fled to neighboring countries seeking political 
        asylum;
Whereas independent journalists and the free media have faced intimidation, 
        violence, and mass arrests, and as a result, many journalists have been 
        held in detention for extended periods and faced criminal proceedings, 
        with many foreign journalists being stripped of their accreditation;
Whereas despite efforts by the Lukashenka regime to suppress independent and 
        free media, brave individuals, such as Ihar Losyk, Katsiaryna 
        Barysevich, Ekaterina Andreeva, and Darya Chultsova, among others, have 
        continued to show their resolve and commitment to accurately and 
        honestly covering the situation on the ground;
Whereas member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in 
        Europe (OSCE), of which the United States and Belarus are members, 
        invoked paragraph 12 of the 1991 Moscow Document of the Conference on 
        the Human Dimension of the OSCE (Moscow Mechanism) to establish a 
        mission of experts to review allegations of human rights violations;
Whereas the OSCE Rapporteur's Report under the Moscow Mechanism on Alleged Human 
        Rights Violations related to the presidential elections of August 9, 
        2020, in Belarus, published November 5, 2020, concluded that there was 
        ``overwhelming evidence that the presidential elections of 9 August 2020 
        [had] been falsified and that massive and systematic human rights 
        violations [had] been committed by the Belarusian security forces in 
        response to peaceful demonstrations and protests'';
Whereas women have played a leading role in peaceful demonstrations across the 
        country, protesting the police brutality and mass detentions by wearing 
        red and white, carrying flowers, and forming ``solidarity chains'';
Whereas the information technology (IT) industry in Belarus has played a 
        prominent role in the democratic movement by demanding an end to violent 
        oppression, as well as creating safe platforms for demonstrators to 
        communicate and track people who have been detained or went missing 
        during mass detentions;
Whereas Belarusian authorities have continually disrupted internet channels in 
        an attempt to limit communication among demonstrators and targeted lead 
        technology companies and their employees advocating for democracy;
Whereas Belarusian state-owned television channels have played a prominent role 
        in encouraging violence against peaceful demonstrators;
Whereas a recent survey of IT specialists found that 15 percent of IT 
        specialists working in Belarus have already relocated to neighboring 
        countries, and over 40 percent of IT specialists no longer want to work 
        in Belarus, resulting in a devastating loss of talent for Belarus, 
        possibly permanently damaging the Belarusian technology industry along 
        with the Belarusian economy;
Whereas hundreds of former law enforcement officers in Belarus who have defected 
        in defiance of illegal orders to commit human rights violations and 
        cover up crimes against civilians and those who have assisted law 
        enforcement officers in defecting have faced harassment, financial 
        penalties, arrest, detention, and other punitive measures;
Whereas Lukashenka's regime directs law enforcement officers to use excessive 
        force against peaceful demonstrators and sow terror in residential 
        neighborhoods;
Whereas several peaceful demonstrators have died as a result of police violence, 
        including 31-year-old Roman Bondarenko who was violently beaten by 
        plainclothes police officers and, as a result, suffered head injuries 
        that resulted in his death;
Whereas demonstrators have reported numerous instances of rape by officers while 
        being held in detention centers and have detailed violent assaults in 
        interrogation rooms and isolation wards that led to severe injuries;
Whereas Belarusian universities continue to expel students and dismiss educators 
        and researchers for participating in peaceful protests;
Whereas child protective services have threatened multiple civic activists with 
        termination of parental rights for bringing minor children to peaceful 
        protests;
Whereas factory workers at state-owned enterprises have been continuously 
        harassed for trying to organize independent trade unions and have been 
        forced to sign political letters opposing sanctions by the European 
        Union under threat of termination of their employment;
Whereas a transatlantic community of legislators has emerged in support of 
        uplifting the democratic aspirations of the Belarusian people;
Whereas international advocacy, including by co-host Latvia, succeeded in 
        preventing the illegitimate Government of Belarus from hosting the 2021 
        Ice Hockey World Championship;
Whereas the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada 
        have enacted sanctions and other punitive measures against several 
        individuals and entities found responsible for the perpetration of 
        violence against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members, workers, 
        and journalists, among others;
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 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 Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 was 
        signed into law, expanding the President's authority to impose sanctions 
        related to Belarus and authorizing increased assistance to counter 
        internet censorship and surveillance technology, support women 
        advocating for freedom and human rights, and support political refugees 
        fleeing the crackdown in Belarus, among other things;
Whereas the Belarus opposition, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, organized a Day 
        of Solidary on February 7, 2020, where countries, cities, and political 
        and elected leaders, as well as everyday citizens, demonstrated their 
        support for the six months of peaceful protests since the fraudulent 
        presidential election that took place on August 9, 2020; and
Whereas the United States and its transatlantic allies and partners must 
        continue to explore avenues for cooperation in support of the democratic 
        movement 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) affirms that the people of Belarus have the right to 
        determine the future of Belarus without unwelcome intervention 
        from any outside actors in violation of Belarusian independence 
        and sovereignty;
            (3) condemns the human rights violations committed by 
        Belarusian authorities, including against peaceful 
        demonstrators, civil society activists, opposition leaders, 
        students, educators, factory workers, medical personnel, and 
        journalists, and calls for such authorities to halt any further 
        acts of violence against civilians;
            (4) calls for the immediate release of all those detained 
        in connection with the demonstrations or others unlawfully 
        detained for reporting on or protesting abuses by the 
        Belarusian government, including releasing those family members 
        of American citizens working for United States companies;
            (5) calls for the protection of civil society actors and 
        members of the opposition against arbitrary arrest and violence 
        while conducting peaceful discussions relating to the peaceful 
        transition of power in Belarus;
            (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 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) recognizes the Coordination Council established by 
        Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a legitimate institution to 
        participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power;
            (9) calls for further targeted sanctions 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 authorities from the electoral commission who engaged in 
        activities that resulted in the falsification of the August 9, 
        2020, election results;
            (10) encourages considering, in coordination with 
        transatlantic partners, the sanctioning of Belarusian state-
        owned companies that have directly violated the rights of their 
        workers as a result of their participation in or in connection 
        to the ongoing democratic movement in Belarus;
            (11) calls on the transatlantic community to review and 
        consider reassessing any financial assistance that supports the 
        Lukashenka regime, including participation in state debt 
        issuances or procurement contracts;
            (12) supports increasing funds available for foreign 
        assistance to Belarusian civil society groups as well as legal 
        assistance for activists and independent journalists, among 
        others;
            (13) calls for an international investigation into the 
        human rights abuses committed during and after the August 9, 
        2020, presidential election;
            (14) calls for new free and fair elections under 
        Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 
        observation; and
            (15) 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.
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