[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 52 (Thursday, March 29, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2224-S2225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IIHF 2014 WORLD ICE HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in the last few years, we have seen
dictator after dictator tumble across the world: Qadhafi in Libya, Ben
Ali in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt, Saleh in Yemen, and eventually Bashar
al-Assad in Syria.
Yet there is one dictator who hangs on. He is the last dictator in
Europe. You may not be familiar with his name, but they certainly know
him in neighboring countries. He is the strong-man President of
Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
For more than 20 years, he has ruled Belarus with an iron fist--using
a barbaric combination of repression, intimidation, and torture to
maintain power. He is so bold as to continue to call his security
services the KGB. Can you imagine in today's world calling your
security service the same name as the dread security service of the
Soviet Union, the KGB?
Under Lukashenko's reign, elections have been consistently rigged,
arrests have been made for political purposes, and the public's basic
freedoms of speech, assembly, association, even religion--which we take
for granted--are severely restricted.
As shown in this photograph I have in the Chamber, this is Alexander
Lukashenko, the last dictator in Europe, the President of Belarus.
On December 19, 2010, Lukashenko was given an opportunity to ease the
iron grip of his police state and move closer to democracy by holding a
legitimate Presidential election. He could not bring himself to do it.
He orchestrated a fraudulent election, and then he turned around on the
day of the election and arrested all of his opponents who had the
audacity to run against him and threw them in prison. How about that?
I was in Belarus shortly afterwards and met with their families.
These people were distraught, beside themselves about what had
happened.
One of these detainees who was eventually released came and saw me in
November, Ales Mikhalevich, one of the Presidential candidates who had
been arrested, tortured, and denied basic legal rights for months.
Recently he had been given political asylum in the Czech Republic,
where he continues to fight for human rights in Belarus. His wife and
daughters, whom I met in Minsk, in Belarus, are still being harassed by
the KGB as of today.
Ales Mikhalevich and others from the hundreds who were imprisoned
have been released, but others were not so lucky.
Mikalai Statkevich, a Presidential candidate, was sentenced to 6
years and can barely receive the medical assistance he needs.
Andrei Sannikau, another Presidential candidate, was sentenced to 5
years in prison for having the boldness to run against this dictator.
A number of other political activists who have engaged in political
activity which we take for granted in the United States have been
languishing in prison. I thought about it this week, as the
demonstrators gathered in front of the Supreme Court, marching back and
forth with signs, how we take that for granted. You try to do that in a
country like Belarus, you will end up in prison. Thank God the United
States has a much better standard when it comes to basic rights.
Here are the names of some of the other activists Lukashenko has
thrown in prison: Zmitser Dashkevich, Eduard Lobau, Paval Sevyarynets,
Zmister Bandarenka, Ales Byalyatski, Mikalai Autukhovich.
Authoritarians frequently torture these activists, trying to pressure
them to sign letters admitting a guilt that does not exist. But I want
to speak about something that is going to come up where Belarus and
Lukashenko are going to become international celebrities.
On February 16, Mikhalevich, whom I mentioned earlier, was one of the
13 who picketed the headquarters of Praugue-based automobile company
Skoda, a subsidaiary of Volkswagen.
Why did they picket Skoda?
Skoda is one of the major sponsors of the International Ice Hockey
Federation's World Championship, and has been for the last 19 years. In
fact, Skoda's this automobile company's--relationship with the Hockey
Federation is one of the longest lasting sponsorships. And much to the
disbelief of the rest of the world, the International Ice Hockey
Federation has chosen to host its championship in Belarus. Why? Because
Lukashenko, the dictator, is such a big fan of hockey. All the while,
political prisoners, including Presidential candidates, will be
languishing in prison because of this dictator.
Companies such as Skoda, Nike, and Reebok are among the major
corporate sponsors of this federation that is holding its championship
in Belarus.
Last year, I joined Congressman Mike Quigley of Chicago and National
Hockey League Hall of Famer turned European Parliamentarian Peter
Stastny and wrote to the International Ice Hockey Federation President
Rene Fasel, urging that the 2014 games in Belarus be suspended until
the political prisoners are released. How can anyone celebrate the
excitement of a world-class sports championship when people are
languishing in prison for their political beliefs? They ignored our
request.
I spoke to USA Hockey, which represents the United States in this
federation. They paid no attention.
It turns out the International Ice Hockey Federation will be meeting
next month in Finland. Belarus is likely to be on the agenda. It should
be. It should be at the top of the agenda.
The honor of hosting this prestigious international sporting event in
a country where the President is regarded as Europe's last dictator is
hardly a reflection of the quality of the sport that is involved.
An ardent fan of ice hockey and the head of the Belarus national
Olympic committee, rewarding Lukashenko with the 2014 World Ice Hockey
Championship ignores his regime's atrocities.
I have tried to reach out to Skoda, owned by Volkswagen, Nike,
Reebok, and other sponsors to let them know their image is at stake too
if they validate this dictator's policies and give honor to a country
which does not recognize the basic freedoms.
This photograph I have in the Chamber shows Skoda's CEO, Winfried
Vahland, in the center, along with Hockey Federation President Fasel on
the right, as they celebrate Skoda's commitment to sponsor the world
championship through 2017.
Skoda contends its sponsorship of the event does not indicate
approval of what is going on in Belarus--simply their dedication to
hockey. That does not show much courage.
Lukashenko's preparations for this ice hockey tournament indicate
that Belarus is expecting a lot of visitors and a big economic boost.
[[Page S2225]]
I am once again calling on the International Ice Hockey Federation in
their meeting in Finland to consider this matter at the top of their
agenda and to suspend their plans to hold the Federation Championship
in Belarus in 2014.
There are many other countries around the world more than anxious to
join them and make this a championship well deserving with a host
country that is one we can be proud of.
My feelings about this are not alone. The European Union recently
widened sanctions against Lukashenko and his cronies. Lukashenko
promptly recalled his Belarusian representative to the EU, after which
EU Ambassadors were withdrawn from Belarus.
After a summit in Brussels earlier this month, Lukashenko--never at a
loss for words--criticized the European Union politicians and railed on
the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the first openly gay
minister in Germany. President Lukashenko said:
It is better to be a dictator than gay.
That is a quote. He went on to say:
Belarusians deserve to host the World Championship in 2014
in Belarus.
That is incredible. What sports organization wants to validate those
comments?
I want to close by saying, I hope the International Ice Hockey
Federation's Annual Congress will make the right decision in May. I
hope its corporate sponsors will feel a little uneasy being associated
with Dictator Lukashenko and his policies in Belarus. I hope they will
suspend the 2014 Championship unless the political prisoners are at
least released and that other international sporting groups, such as
the International Cycling Union, follow their example.
I want the United States, in partnership with the European Union, to
continue to place pressure on Lukashenko to open his political system
and to stand by the Belarusian people in their efforts to bring justice
to their country.
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