[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 140 (Thursday, August 6, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S5233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Belarus

  Madam President, the other day, the Chicago Tribune ran a story with 
this moving headline:

       Her husband jailed, her kids sent away, a 37-year-old ex-
     teacher is running for president. She's trying to beat 
     ``Europe's last dictator.''

  The story went on to explain the courageous effort of Sviatlana 
Tsikhanouskaya to run for the election on August 9 in Belarus for 
President, where the country's strongman, Alexander Lukashenko, 
regularly runs sham elections and usually caps them off by jailing 
anyone who has the temerity, or nerve, to run against him. In fact, he 
jailed Sviatlana's husband--a popular online commentator--a few months 
ago. He disqualified or jailed other candidates and harassed and 
detained protesters and journalists, including those from Radio Free 
Europe.
  I am not surprised by what I read in the Tribune. You see, 10 years 
ago, I went to Belarus, just after the equally appalling December 2010 
Presidential election in which the same dictator, Lukashenko, jailed 
the opposition candidates. When I arrived there just after the 
election, I had a meeting I will never forget. It was with the family 
members of many of these jailed candidates. They were deeply concerned 
for the safety of their loved ones who had been rounded up by 
Lukashenko's KGB--and, yes, he still calls his secret police the KGB.
  They spoke movingly--these members of the family--about their 
admiration for their loved ones who had risked so much just to run in 
an election and lose against Lukashenko. They spoke of the fear of what 
would happen at the hands of Lukashenko's henchmen.
  I later told their stories on the floor of the Senate. Shortly 
thereafter, the Senate passed a resolution that I introduced with 
Senators McCain, Lieberman, and others that said that the announced 
result of this election in Belarus was neither credible nor sustainable 
since they jailed the political candidates who opposed Lukashenko. 
Eventually, all of them were released, but it took time.
  Here we go again--witnessing the same brutality and deprivation for 
the most basic demographic freedoms on the European continent. Clearly, 
Lukashenko knows he cannot win a fair election, so he turns to the 
usual autocrats' playbook--harassing and jailing opposition, rigging 
and discrediting the electoral process, and unleashing brutality on 
anyone who resisted.
  I am here to say to Mr. Lukashenko, no one in the West is fooled. 
That is why I am pleased to have introduced a resolution with Senators 
Rubio, Cardin, and others that calls for the release of those 
disgracefully jailed during the Belarus election period. It calls for 
basic international election norms to be adhered to, including the 
allowing of international and local election observers and for the 
peaceful exercise of basic democratic rights.
  I want to thank my colleagues who joined me on this measure. I 
believe this matter has been passed by live consent. I thank my 
colleagues for giving me the opportunity to let them know about this 
violation of democratic values in Belarus.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered