[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 159 (Tuesday, September 15, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4386-H4387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        SOLIDARITY WITH BELARUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong solidarity with the 
citizens and the political dissidents of Belarus.
  On August 9, 2020, Belarus held its presidential election with its 
incumbent President, Alexander Lukashenko, claiming victory with over 
80 percent of the vote. Both the United States and the European Union 
have called the elections ``neither fair or free,'' as the Lukashenko 
regime restricted ballot access for candidates, prohibited local 
independent observers, and employed intimidation tactics against 
opposition candidates.
  Mass protests erupted following the election. Tens of thousands of 
protestors took to the street to express their disapproval of 
Lukashenko and his administration. His regime responded with excessive 
force to quell the protests, including the use of live and rubber 
ballots, leading to thousands of Belarusian citizens being either 
detained or arrested. It appears likely that violent crackdowns will 
continue.
  Mr. Speaker, included in these arrests are several opposition 
leaders, including former presidential candidates Sergei Tikhanovsky, 
Viktar Babaryka, Coordination Council members Liliya Vlasova, Sergei 
Dylevsky, Maria Kalesnikava, and Maxim Znak, as well as several of 
their staff and volunteers, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the opposition 
presidential nominee, was forced to flee the country, as was opposition 
leader Veronika Tsepkalo and her husband, former presidential nominee, 
Valery Tsepkalo.
  None of the dissidents have been given a fair trial, and all of them 
have had their human rights denied. As I think about the current 
situation in Belarus, I am reminded of President Ronald Reagan's speech 
to Soviet dissidents at Spaso House in 1988. President Reagan made two 
things clear that day: The United States' commitment to human rights 
are, and will continue to be, fundamental and unwavering, and that 
through strength, determination, and prayer, there is nothing you 
cannot conquer.
  Reagan also said in that speech, ``While we press for human rights 
through diplomatic channels, you press with your very lives, day in, 
day out, year after year, risking your jobs, your homes, your all.''
  Mr. Speaker, while the people of Belarus continue their tireless 
fight for human rights, the United States should be working with our 
European partners and allies to impose new sanctions on those 
responsible not only for voter repression, but also for the violent 
crackdowns that follow the election.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a list of 28 individuals.

                   Belarus Sanctions Recommendations

       1. Alexander Lukashenko, President (Notes: Ordering the 
     blatant falsification of presidential voting, commission of 
     acts of violence against peaceful protesters, torture of 
     detainees, inhumane detainment conditions, persecution of 
     political opponents and journalists.)
       2. Lydia Yermishina, Chairwoman, Central Election 
     Commission (Notes: Multiple cases of election fraud and 
     falsification, criminal misconduct concerning the tabulation 
     of balance and miss reporting election results.)
       3. Yuriy Karaev, Minister of Interior (Notes: Commission of 
     acts of violence against peaceful protesters, torture of 
     detainees, inhumane detainment conditions, persecution of 
     political opposition and journalists.)
       4. Valeriy Vakaluchik, Director, KGB (Notes: Ordering and 
     implementing acts of violence against peaceful protesters, 
     torture of detainees, inhumane detainment conditions, 
     persecution of political opposition and journalists.)
       5. Viktor Lukashenko, counselor to the president on 
     national security (Notes: Organization and implementation of 
     violence against peaceful protesters, torture of detainees, 
     inhumane detainment conditions, persecution of political 
     opposition and journalists.)
       6. Dimitri Lukashenko, son of Alexander Lukashenko (Notes: 
     Sanctions imposed by extension to family members.)
       7. Dimitriy Balaba, special police unit, Minsk (Notes: 
     Commission of acts of violence against peaceful protesters, 
     torture of detainees, inhumane detainment conditions, 
     persecution of political opposition and journalists.)
       8. Ivan Kubrakov, Director of Minsk police department 
     (Notes: Commission of acts of violence against peaceful 
     protesters, portrait detainees, inhumane detainment 
     conditions, persecution of political opposition and 
     journalists.)
       9. Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister (Notes: Organization 
     of falsification of elections.)
       10. Igor Sergeenko, Head of presidential administration 
     (Notes: Organization of falsification of elections.)
       11. Viktor Sheyman, Chief Manager of the President (Notes: 
     Persecution of political opponents of Alexander Lukashenko.)
       12. Dimitriy Pavlichenko, Head of the Association of 
     Veterans of the Special Forces of the Ministry of Internal 
     Affairs, Ex-commander of Military Unit 3214; Ex-commander of 
     SOBR. (Notes: Unofficially commanded the special forces who 
     violently dispersed protesters in Minsk.)
       13. Ivan Tertel, Chairman of the State Control Committee 
     (Notes: The official initiator of the Belgazprombank case and 
     the arrest of presidential candidate Viktor Babariko along 
     with his relatives, friends, and employees.)
       14. Oleg Slizhevsky, Minister of Justice (Notes: Sanctions 
     imposed by extension to leading officials on account of the 
     Belarusian government's suppression of free and fair 
     elections and subsequent abuses.)
       15. Petr Miklashevich, President of the Constitutional 
     Court (Notes: Sanctions imposed by extension to leading 
     officials on account of the Belarusian government's 
     suppression of free and fair elections and subsequent 
     abuses.)
       16. Valentin Sukalo, President of the Supreme Court (Notes: 
     Sanctions imposed by extension to leading officials on 
     account of the Belarusian government's suppression of free 
     and fair elections and subsequent abuses.)
       17. Aleksandr Konyuk, Prosecutor General (Notes: Provision 
     of official justification for the brutal crackdowns on 
     protesters and involvement in the manufactured prosecution of 
     members of the opposition.)
       18. Ivan Noskevish, Chairman of the Investigative Committee 
     (Notes: Falsification of criminal cases against protesters.)
       19. Vladimir Karanik, Minister of Health (Notes: 
     Dissemination of misinformation about the orchestration of 
     medical protests.)
       20. Ivan Eysmont, Chairman of State Broadcasting 
     ``Belteleradiocompany'' (Notes: Organization of falsification 
     of elections.)
       21. Igor Lutskiy, Minister of Information (Notes: 
     Organization of falsification of elections.)
       22. Viktor Hrenin, Minister of Defense (Notes: Sanctions 
     imposed by extension to leading officials on account of the 
     Belarusian government's suppression of free and fair 
     elections and subsequent abuses.)
       23. Major General Yuri Nazarenko, Deputy Minister of the 
     Interior and Commander of the Interior Armed Forces, former 
     Chief of Staff of the Lukashenko Security Service (Notes: 
     Commission of acts of violence against peaceful protesters, 
     torture of detainees, inhumane detainment conditions, 
     persecution of political opposition and journalists.)
       24. Vladimir Zhiznevsky, Commander of the Internal Army 
     Unit No. 3214 (Notes: Commission of acts of violence against 
     peaceful protesters, torture of detainees, inhumane 
     detainment conditions, persecution of political opposition 
     and journalists.)
       25. Alexander Bykov, Commander of the Special Rapid 
     Reaction Force (COBP) (Notes: Commission of acts of violence 
     against

[[Page H4387]]

     peaceful protesters, torture of detainees, inhumane 
     detainment conditions, persecution of political opposition 
     and journalists.)
       26. Alexander Barsukov, Deputy Minister of Internal 
     Affairs--Head of the Public Security Police (Notes: 
     Commission of acts of violence against peaceful protesters, 
     torture of detainees, inhumane detainment conditions, 
     persecution of political opposition and journalists.)
       27. Natalia Kachanova, Head of the Council of the Republic 
     of the National Assembly (Notes: Organization of 
     falsification of elections.)
       28. Andrey Ravkov, Secretary of State of the Security 
     Council (Notes: Commission of acts of violence against 
     peaceful protesters, torture of detainees, inhumane 
     detainment conditions, persecution of political opposition 
     and journalists.)

  Mr. SHIMKUS. This new round of sanctions should send a clear and 
direct message that any attempts to interfere with the Belarusian 
people's inalienable rights to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law 
will not be tolerated.
  Mr. Speaker, let it be clear to the Belarusian people: We, the people 
of the United States, hear their cry for freedom, democracy, and the 
rule of law. We stand behind them.

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