[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H8917-H8918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FLAWED ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL IMPRISONMENT IN BELARUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I come down tonight to put into the 
Record the names of some freedom fighters who have been jailed, not 
only politicians, but also members of the news media, after the stolen 
elections in Minsk, Belarus, of two nights ago.
  The opponents of Dictator Lukashenko were as follows. Their locations 
are unknown. Some have been jailed: Andrey Sannikaw, Yaraslaw 
Ramanchuk, Ryhor Kastusyow, Uladzimir Nyaklyayew, Ales Mikhalevich, 
Vital Rymashewski, Viktar Tsyareshchanka, Mikalay Statkevich and 
Dzmitry Uss.
  Tens of thousands of Belarusians converged on Independence Square in 
the capital, heeding opposition leaders who called Sunday's election a 
farce and accused Lukashenko of keeping the post-Soviet country locked 
in a dictatorship. They gathered on the evening on the 19th and the 
morning of the 20th.
  Also arrested were prominent journalists and civil society activists, 
folks who are friends of individuals I know: Anatol Lyabedska, leader 
of the United Civic Party; Mr. Sannikaw's wife, Iryna Khalip; Dzmitry 
Bandarenka, coordinator of an opposition group called Khartyya97; and 
Natallya Radzina, the editor of www.charter97.org.
 The Organization For Security and Cooperation in Europe called the 
election ``flawed,'' and the United States of America and the European 
Union condemned the crackdown.
  With me I have some photos of the evening of December 19 showing 
protestors. Of course, we see members of the Belarusian security 
forces, and in this photo here you actually see them wielding their 
clubs and beating one of the opposition members of the party. This is 
what we have in Europe. The last dictatorship in Europe is in a country 
called Belarus.

                              {time}  2000

  The United States has already--and I would lend to the demand of the 
release of all political prisoners, presidential candidates, and their 
official representatives who are being held in KGB detention centers in 
Minsk. Yes, in Belarus, they still call the secret police the KGB. The 
United States and this Member stand in solidarity with all opposition 
activists with those currently being held and those who are still in 
hospitals and those already who are in jail.
  The new media ability of democratic movements in this country are 
great at especially being able to use the Twitter accounts, using 
Facebook, using

[[Page H8918]]

photos. A lot of these were conducted through new media. It underscores 
the brutality of the Belarusian leadership and the dictator, 
Lukashenko. I would hope that the international community, especially 
the European Union and the United States, would place the Belarusian 
Government on record that they should not hope to be able to join in 
the opportunities afforded to free and democratic countries when they 
treat their citizens who are only asking for the right to have their 
voice heard and the right to choose the representatives of the people.

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