[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 166 (Thursday, September 24, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    ONGOING TRANSATLANTIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY 
                                ASSEMBLY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RICHARD HUDSON

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 24, 2020

  Mr. HUDSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight my recent 
efforts to engage with our allies across Europe to address the current 
political turmoil in Belarus and seek a way forward.
  On September 23, I joined a video call of the leadership of the 
Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation 
in Europe (OSCE PA), where I serve as Chairman the Committee on 
Political Affairs and Security. Joining us for the discussion were the 
Head of the Belarusian delegation to the OSCE PA, Mr. Andrei Savinykh, 
and the leader of the Belarusian opposition and former presidential 
candidate, Ms. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
  Ms. Tikhanovskaya shared with us the long struggle of the people of 
Belarus for their rights under President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year 
authoritarian rule. The fraudulent presidential election on August 9, 
in which Lukashenko claimed he ``won'' with over 80 percent of the 
vote, led thousands of Belarusians across the country to come out into 
the streets. They risk physical harm and imprisonment to demand free 
and fair elections and the release of political prisoners. 
Unfortunately, these individuals have been met with brute force from 
the authoritarian regime. They continue to injure and detain 
protestors, journalists, and even bystanders on a massive scale. 
Instances of torture in detention have been reported, and some have 
been killed. Lukashenko is clearly afraid for his political future. In 
another desperate move, he recently held an illegal, early 
``inauguration'' in an attempt to consolidate his illegitimate power.
  I strongly condemned Lukashenko's violent repression of Belarusians 
and express solidarity for their desire to choose their own leadership 
in a democratic and transparent manner and to exercise their 
fundamental freedoms without fear of violent repercussions or 
harassment. During our meeting, I noted two particular cases that we in 
the United States are watching closely. U.S. citizen Vitali Shkliarov, 
who was in Belarus visiting family, was unjustly detained in July and 
languishes in a Belarusian prison since the end of July. We are 
concerned for his welfare and I called for his release.
  I also mentioned that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev, 
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, has been denied re-entry to Belarus after a 
visit abroad, even though he is a citizen. He has openly criticized the 
government's use of violence against peaceful people, including the 
detention of priests and clergy, and we fear that this too is a 
political act on the part of Lukashenko and an infringement on 
religious freedom.
  The future of Belarus belongs to its people, and, as Secretary of 
State Mike Pompeo has emphasized, this path should be ``free from 
external intervention.'' Indeed, my colleagues in the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly understand that it is not our place to choose 
the leadership of Belarus, but to use the unique role of the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly as a representative body to foster authentic 
dialogue, prevent and resolve conflict, and hold each other 
accountable. As an OSCE participating State, Belarus has an obligation 
to abide by the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, including those 
on human rights and fundamental freedoms. I am pleased that 17 
participating States of the OSCE, including the United States, have 
invoked the Moscow Mechanism, which will establish a mission of 
independent experts to look into the particularly serious threats to 
the fulfillment of human rights commitments in Belarus. The report that 
the mission issues will hopefully offer us greater insight into the 
situation in Belarus and recommendations for future actions.
  It is a privilege, through the U.S. Helsinki Commission, to represent 
the United States Congress in the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE. 
The Parliamentary Assembly provides Members of Congress with a unique, 
bipartisan opportunity to work with our friends and allies to help 
resolve pressing global issues while promoting our shared values. 
Because the Parliamentary Assembly includes representatives of Belarus 
and our European allies, it is uniquely suited to address the human 
rights and security implications of the moment in Belarus.
  Madam Speaker, please join me today in calling for an end to violence 
and mass detentions in Belarus and recognizing the importance of 
continued Congressional engagement with the Parliamentary Assembly of 
the OSCE.

                          ____________________