[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S452-S455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN
BELARUS
Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 167, S.
Res. 345.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 345) expressing the sense of the
Senate on the political situation in Belarus.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign
Relations with an amendment to strike all after the resolving clause
and insert the part printed in italic, and with an amendment to strike
the preamble and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
Whereas the United States Senate has long maintained strong
bipartisan concern regarding the troubling lack of democracy
in Belarus, highlighted by the passing of the Belarus
Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-347; 22 U.S.C. 5811
note);
Whereas the 116th Congress, as referenced in H.R. 8438, the
Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020,
and Senate Resolution 658, which both passed with unanimous
support, stated its deep concern regarding the fraudulent
election in Belarus on August 9, 2020;
Whereas on September 17, 2020, the Moscow Mechanism of the
human dimension of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was invoked by 17 participating
states with regard to credible reports of human rights
violations before, during, and after the presidential
election of August 9, 2020, in Belarus;
Whereas, following Alyaksandr Lukashenka's inauguration on
September 23, 2020, the United States, the European Union,
numerous European Union member states, the United Kingdom,
and Canada announced they did not recognize the legitimacy of
the election results;
Whereas after the August 9, 2020 presidential election, the
Government of Belarus responded to the resulting peaceful
protests, the largest in the country's history, with a
violent crackdown, including the detention of more than
10,000 peaceful protestors, according to the United Nations
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in
Belarus;
Whereas the Government of Belarus, under the misrule of the
Lukashenka regime, continues to engage in a pattern of clear
and persistent violations of human rights and fundamental
freedoms and disrespects the basic principles of democratic
governance by subjecting tens of thousands of pro-democracy
political activists, peaceful protesters, and ordinary
citizens to harassment, beatings, abductions, forced
deportations, and imprisonment and by committing acts of
transnational repression to punish any dissent expressed by
Belarusian citizens;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to silence
independent media, such as Nasha Niva, tut.by, and Belsat,
and has unlawfully raided the offices of media outlets,
including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and arrested
journalists;
Whereas on September 11, 2020, then-Deputy Secretary of
State Stephen Biegun said that ``we stand by our long-term
commitment to support the sovereignty of Belarus as well as
its territorial integrity, as the aspirations of the
Belarusian people to determine their own path remains in
front of us'';
Whereas on May 23, 2021, the Lukashenka regime forced a
commercial airliner flying between
[[Page S453]]
two European Union member states to land in Minsk in order
for the regime to arrest journalist Raman Pratasevich and his
partner Sofia Sapega, a violation of international law
resulting in near universal condemnation from the
international community and coordinated sanctions by the
United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union;
Whereas on May 28, 2021, the White House announced the re-
imposition of full blocking sanctions against nine Belarusian
state-owned enterprises and announced a new Executive order
to increase sanctions on elements of the Lukashenka regime;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime has actively encouraged or
forced at gunpoint more than 4,000 migrants from other
countries to cross through Belarus into European Union member
states Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, amounting to people
smuggling and obliging these countries to declare a state of
emergency;
Whereas on June 9, 2021, the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate held a hearing regarding the political
situation in Belarus, in which United States Ambassador to
Belarus Julie Fisher testified that ``Despite the oppression,
the violence, and the turmoil that followed the events of the
past year provide glimmers of hope. A new generation of brave
Belarusians, with courageous women at the front, have
emerged. They represent a Belarus determined to chart its own
path. They represent a Belarus in which wearing a red and
white dress, hanging a flag, or playing a particular song
will not result in torture, forced confessions, or even
death.'';
Whereas on July 27, 2021, President Biden met Belarusian
opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the White House
and declared that ``The United States stands with the people
of Belarus in their quest for democracy and universal human
rights.'';
Whereas on August 9, 2021, President Biden--
(1) announced an Executive order authorizing the imposition
of blocking sanctions on certain sectors of the Belarus
economy, including the potash, tobacco products, and
construction sectors; and
(2) pursuant to such executive order and Executive Order
13405, issued additional sanctions on Belarusian individuals
and entities, including Belaruskali (a state-owned potash
fertilizer company) and the Belarus National Olympic
Committee; and
Whereas Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya continues to represent the widely shared
desire of the Belarusian people for free and fair elections
and democracy: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, [That the Senate--
[(1) continues, on the first anniversary of the
illegitimate presidential election in Belarus on August 9,
2020, to refuse to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the
legitimately elected leader of Belarus;
[(2) condemns Lukashenka's ongoing crackdown on members of
the pro-democracy movement, senior members of the
Coordination Council, peaceful protesters, employees from
state-owned enterprises participating in strikes, independent
election observers, independent journalists and bloggers,
medical professionals, professors, teachers, athletes, and
cultural leaders;
[(3) continues to call for the fulfillment by the
Government of Belarus of Belarus' freely undertaken
obligations as an Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) member and accept the OSCE's offer to
facilitate a national dialogue and fully participate in the
OSCE process;
[(4) calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections
to be held in Belarus, conducted in a manner that is free and
fair according to OSCE standards and under the supervision of
OSCE observers and independent domestic observers;
[(5) welcomes the United States Government's close
coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom,
Canada, other allied and partner countries, and international
organizations to promote the principles of democracy, the
rule of law, and human rights in Belarus and encourages
continued coordination to apply maximal pressure on the
Lukashenka regime;
[(6) continues to call for the immediate release, without
preconditions, of all political prisoners in Belarus;
[(7) welcomes the recent release of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists Aleh Hruzdzilovich and Ina
Studzinskaya and calls for the unconditional release of all
political prisoners and journalists detained on dubious
charges, including opposition candidates Sergei Tikhanovsky
and Viktar Babaryka, pro-democracy activist Maria
Kalesnikava, and RFE/RL journalist Ihar Losik;
[(8) condemns the forced diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978
to arrest Raman Pratasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega,
which violated international civil aviation law and risked
the lives of innocent passengers and crew, and calls for
their immediate unconditional release;
[(9) commends the bravery of Belarusians who have created
innovative ways to protest Lukashenka's autocracy and
applauds the Belarusian diaspora's efforts to maintain
international focus on the deteriorating political situation;
[(10) lauds the extraordinary support offered by the
Governments of Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland to support the
people of Belarus, including support for the political
opposition, accommodation of political refugees, and backing
a free media;
[(11) calls on the Lukashenka regime to immediately halt
exploiting and instrumentalizing migrants and to stop
directing individuals to Lithuania's borders;
[(12) welcomes the Executive order announced on August 9,
2021, that applies additional sanctions on the Lukashenka
regime and urges the Biden Administration to consider all
economic, political, and diplomatic tools at its disposal to
support democracy in Belarus;
[(13) welcomes the European Union sanctions imposed on the
Lukashenka regime and urges the United States to continue to
coordinate additional measures with the European Union; and
[(14) emphasizes that the United States supports the people
of Belarus in their quest to maintain their sovereignty,
choose their own leadership, and live in freedom, and
recognizes the extensive efforts of the Belarusian opposition
to coordinate efforts with the United States, the European
Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations to bring free and
fair elections to its people.]
That the Senate--
(1) continues, on the first anniversary of the illegitimate
presidential election in Belarus on August 9, 2020, to refuse
to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimately
elected leader of Belarus;
(2) condemns Lukashenka's ongoing crackdown on members of
the pro-democracy movement, senior members of the
Coordination Council, peaceful protesters, employees from
state-owned enterprises participating in strikes, independent
election observers, independent journalists and bloggers,
medical professionals, professors, teachers, athletes, and
cultural leaders;
(3) continues to call for the fulfillment by the Government
of Belarus of Belarus' freely undertaken obligations as an
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
member and accept the OSCE's offer to facilitate a national
dialogue and fully participate in the OSCE process;
(4) calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections
to be held in Belarus, conducted in a manner that is free and
fair according to OSCE standards and under the supervision of
OSCE observers and independent domestic observers;
(5) welcomes the United States Government's close
coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom,
Canada, other allied and partner countries, and international
organizations to promote the principles of democracy, the
rule of law, and human rights in Belarus and encourages
continued coordination to apply maximal pressure on the
Lukashenka regime;
(6) continues to call for the immediate release, without
preconditions, of all political prisoners in Belarus;
(7) welcomes the recent release of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE/RL) journalists Aleh Hruzdzilovich and Ina
Studzinskaya and calls for the unconditional release of all
political prisoners and journalists detained on dubious
charges, including opposition candidates Sergei Tikhanovsky
and Viktar Babaryka, pro-democracy activist Maria
Kalesnikava, and RFE/RL journalist Ihar Losik;
(8) condemns the forced diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 to
arrest Raman Pratasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega, which
violated international civil aviation law and risked the
lives of innocent passengers and crew, and calls for their
immediate unconditional release;
(9) commends the bravery of Belarusians who have created
innovative ways to protest Lukashenka's autocracy and
applauds the Belarusian diaspora's efforts to maintain
international focus on the deteriorating political situation;
(10) lauds the extraordinary support offered by the
Governments of Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland to support the
people of Belarus, including support for the political
opposition, accommodation of political refugees, and backing
a free media;
(11) calls on the Lukashenka regime to immediately halt
exploiting and instrumentalizing migrants and to stop
directing individuals to the borders of Lithuania, Latvia,
and Poland;
(12) welcomes the Executive order announced on August 9,
2021, that applies additional sanctions on the Lukashenka
regime and urges the Biden Administration to consider all
economic, political, and diplomatic tools at its disposal to
support democracy in Belarus;
(13) welcomes the European Union sanctions imposed on the
Lukashenka regime and urges the United States to continue to
coordinate additional measures with the European Union; and
(14) emphasizes that the United States supports the people
of Belarus in their quest to maintain their sovereignty,
choose their own leadership, and live in freedom, and
recognizes the extensive efforts of the Belarusian opposition
to coordinate efforts with the United States, the European
Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations to bring free and
fair elections to its people.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Madam President, today, the Senate will consider S.
Res. 345, legislation I authored with Senator Roger Wicker to bring
attention to the people of Belarus and their pursuit of democracy.
Since Alyaksandr Lukashenka egregiously stole the Presidential
elections in 2020, we have witnessed a continued crackdown on the
people of Belarus, who are being denied their basic human rights. After
unjustly claiming victory, Lukashenka responded to peaceful, pro-
democracy protests across Belarus with violence and oppression,
throwing thousands of Belarusians in jail.
In May last year, his regime forced a commercial airliner flying
between two
[[Page S454]]
European states to land in Minsk so his security forces could arrest a
journalist and his partner, an action for which the U.S. has charged
four Belarusian officials with hijacking. Then last fall, his regime
exploited vulnerable migrants by bringing them to Belarus and forcing
them at gunpoint across the border into the European Union, leading
several countries to declare a state of emergency.
These abuses are demoralizing to the Belarusian people, who keep up
the fight to bring Lukashenka to account for his egregious behavior.
But now, we are witnessing a new level of desperation by Lukashenka,
who is supporting Putin in his campaign of aggression against Ukraine.
He has endorsed Putin's agenda and invited Russian troops for major
military exercises on Belarusian soil. Lukashenka has effectively given
Putin permission to use his own country for a training ground to
undermine a sovereign nation.
As Lukashenka supports Vladimir Putin's efforts to destabilize the
democratically elected government in Kyiv, at home he has proposed a
constitutional referendum that would allow him to stay in office
indefinitely.
Indeed, life under Lukashenka is perilous. Today, there are more than
1000 political prisoners in Belarus, 1000 people imprisoned because of
the insecurities of one man. I welcome the recent statement from the
Department of State bringing attention to the ill treatment of these
prisoners. And I call on the Lukashenka regime to release these
prisoners without conditions and abide by their commitments to human
rights as a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe.
Lukashenka has ruthlessly attacked independent media in Belarus,
including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which he declared an
extremist organization. Anyone who subscribes to RFE/RL can be arrested
and jailed. RFE/RL's journalists who reported on the 2020 elections
have been harassed, detained, arrested, and stripped of their
credentials.
I want to highlight the stories behind the names of these
journalists. They have been arrested and torn from family and friends
indefinitely, simply for doing their jobs to shed light on the truth.
Ihor Losik was sentenced to 15 years in prison in December after a
lengthy, closed door trial. Andrey Kuznechyk has been detained since
November on unknown criminal charges. Aleh Hruzdzilovich has been
detained since late December for his reporting activities, after
previously serving two stints in jail following the election.
The Lukashenka regime's cowardly attacks on the free press do not
project strength. They show that regime is, in fact, weak, desperate
and afraid of the truth. And the truth is--the Belarusian people want
to live in a free country and choose their own future.
This is why I have been proud to lead efforts in the Senate to
condemn the actions of the Lukashenka regime and support the brave
people of Belarus who continue to stand up to an increasingly
autocratic government. Last year, Senator Wicker and I cofounded the
Free Belarus Caucus to advocate for the pro-democracy movement and
continue to push for free and fair elections in Belarus.
I have met with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya numerous times and others
from the Coordination Council who are leading the effort to bring a
peaceful, democratic transition of power to Belarus. She is an
admirable woman who did not seek the spotlight, but stepped up on
behalf of her people when they needed her most. Her leadership is
critical for the future of democracy in Belarus, and we must do
everything we can to assist her and the Belarusian people.
And today, I am calling on my colleagues in the Senate to join me in
supporting this resolution, which expresses solidarity for the
Belarussians' pursuit of freedom and a future of their own making. As
we work together to respond to Russian threats against Ukraine, we must
not forget the plight of Belarusians. We must be steadfast in our
strong support to those suffering under the rule of authoritarians. So
I urge my colleagues to join me at this critical moment and support
this resolution.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I further ask that the Shaheen amendment at the desk to
the committee-reported amendment to the resolution be agreed to, and
that the committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 4921) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To make technical amendments)
On page 13, strike lines 1 through 8, and insert the
following:
(7) calls for the unconditional release of all political
prisoners and journalists detained on dubious charges,
including opposition candidates Sergei Tikhanovsky and Viktar
Babaryka, pro-democracy activist Maria Kalesnikava, and Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists Ihar Losik, Aleh
Hruzdzilovich, and Andrey Kuznechyk;
On page 14, lines 8 and 9, strike ``consider all economic,
political, and diplomatic tools'' and insert ``consider
further tools''.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, as
amended, was agreed to.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I know of no further debate on the resolution, as
amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there is no further debate, the question is
on the resolution, as amended.
The resolution (S. Res. 345), in the nature of a substitute, as
amended, was agreed to.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
amendment to the preamble be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended,
be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and
laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment to the preamble, in the nature of a
substitute, was agreed to.
The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
The resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, reads as
follows:
S. Res. 345
Whereas the United States Senate has long maintained strong
bipartisan concern regarding the troubling lack of democracy
in Belarus, highlighted by the passing of the Belarus
Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-347; 22 U.S.C. 5811
note);
Whereas the 116th Congress, as referenced in H.R. 8438, the
Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020,
and Senate Resolution 658, which both passed with unanimous
support, stated its deep concern regarding the fraudulent
election in Belarus on August 9, 2020;
Whereas on September 17, 2020, the Moscow Mechanism of the
human dimension of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was invoked by 17 participating
states with regard to credible reports of human rights
violations before, during, and after the presidential
election of August 9, 2020, in Belarus;
Whereas, following Alyaksandr Lukashenka's inauguration on
September 23, 2020, the United States, the European Union,
numerous European Union member states, the United Kingdom,
and Canada announced they did not recognize the legitimacy of
the election results;
Whereas after the August 9, 2020 presidential election, the
Government of Belarus responded to the resulting peaceful
protests, the largest in the country's history, with a
violent crackdown, including the detention of more than
10,000 peaceful protestors, according to the United Nations
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in
Belarus;
Whereas the Government of Belarus, under the misrule of the
Lukashenka regime, continues to engage in a pattern of clear
and persistent violations of human rights and fundamental
freedoms and disrespects the basic principles of democratic
governance by subjecting tens of thousands of pro-democracy
political activists, peaceful protesters, and ordinary
citizens to harassment, beatings, abductions, forced
deportations, and imprisonment and by committing acts of
transnational repression to punish any dissent expressed by
Belarusian citizens;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to silence
independent media, such as Nasha Niva, tut.by, and Belsat,
and has unlawfully raided the offices of media outlets,
including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and arrested
journalists;
Whereas on September 11, 2020, then-Deputy Secretary of
State Stephen Biegun said that ``we stand by our long-term
commitment to support the sovereignty of Belarus as well as
its territorial integrity, as the aspirations of the
Belarusian people to determine their own path remains in
front of us'';
Whereas on May 23, 2021, the Lukashenka regime forced a
commercial airliner flying between two European Union member
states to land in Minsk in order for the regime to arrest
journalist Raman Pratasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega, a
violation of international law resulting in near universal
condemnation from the international community and coordinated
sanctions by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the
European Union;
Whereas on May 28, 2021, the White House announced the re-
imposition of full blocking
[[Page S455]]
sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises and
announced a new Executive order to increase sanctions on
elements of the Lukashenka regime;
Whereas the Lukashenka regime has actively encouraged or
forced at gunpoint more than 4,000 migrants from other
countries to cross through Belarus into European Union member
states Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, amounting to people
smuggling and obliging these countries to declare a state of
emergency;
Whereas on June 9, 2021, the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate held a hearing regarding the political
situation in Belarus, in which United States Ambassador to
Belarus Julie Fisher testified that ``Despite the oppression,
the violence, and the turmoil that followed the events of the
past year provide glimmers of hope. A new generation of brave
Belarusians, with courageous women at the front, have
emerged. They represent a Belarus determined to chart its own
path. They represent a Belarus in which wearing a red and
white dress, hanging a flag, or playing a particular song
will not result in torture, forced confessions, or even
death.'';
Whereas on July 27, 2021, President Biden met Belarusian
opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the White House
and declared that ``The United States stands with the people
of Belarus in their quest for democracy and universal human
rights.'';
Whereas on August 9, 2021, President Biden--
(1) announced an Executive order authorizing the imposition
of blocking sanctions on certain sectors of the Belarus
economy, including the potash, tobacco products, and
construction sectors; and
(2) pursuant to such executive order and Executive Order
13405, issued additional sanctions on Belarusian individuals
and entities, including Belaruskali (a state-owned potash
fertilizer company) and the Belarus National Olympic
Committee; and
Whereas Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana
Tsikhanouskaya continues to represent the widely shared
desire of the Belarusian people for free and fair elections
and democracy: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) continues, on the first anniversary of the illegitimate
presidential election in Belarus on August 9, 2020, to refuse
to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimately
elected leader of Belarus;
(2) condemns Lukashenka's ongoing crackdown on members of
the pro-democracy movement, senior members of the
Coordination Council, peaceful protesters, employees from
state-owned enterprises participating in strikes, independent
election observers, independent journalists and bloggers,
medical professionals, professors, teachers, athletes, and
cultural leaders;
(3) continues to call for the fulfillment by the Government
of Belarus of Belarus' freely undertaken obligations as an
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
member and accept the OSCE's offer to facilitate a national
dialogue and fully participate in the OSCE process;
(4) calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections
to be held in Belarus, conducted in a manner that is free and
fair according to OSCE standards and under the supervision of
OSCE observers and independent domestic observers;
(5) welcomes the United States Government's close
coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom,
Canada, other allied and partner countries, and international
organizations to promote the principles of democracy, the
rule of law, and human rights in Belarus and encourages
continued coordination to apply maximal pressure on the
Lukashenka regime;
(6) continues to call for the immediate release, without
preconditions, of all political prisoners in Belarus;
(7) calls for the unconditional release of all political
prisoners and journalists detained on dubious charges,
including opposition candidates Sergei Tikhanovsky and Viktar
Babaryka, pro-democracy activist Maria Kalesnikava, and Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists Ihar Losik, Aleh
Hruzdzilovich, and Andrey Kuznechyk;
(8) condemns the forced diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 to
arrest Raman Pratasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega, which
violated international civil aviation law and risked the
lives of innocent passengers and crew, and calls for their
immediate unconditional release;
(9) commends the bravery of Belarusians who have created
innovative ways to protest Lukashenka's autocracy and
applauds the Belarusian diaspora's efforts to maintain
international focus on the deteriorating political situation;
(10) lauds the extraordinary support offered by the
Governments of Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland to support the
people of Belarus, including support for the political
opposition, accommodation of political refugees, and backing
a free media;
(11) calls on the Lukashenka regime to immediately halt
exploiting and instrumentalizing migrants and to stop
directing individuals to the borders of Lithuania, Latvia,
and Poland;
(12) welcomes the Executive order announced on August 9,
2021, that applies additional sanctions on the Lukashenka
regime and urges the Biden Administration to consider further
tools at its disposal to support democracy in Belarus;
(13) welcomes the European Union sanctions imposed on the
Lukashenka regime and urges the United States to continue to
coordinate additional measures with the European Union; and
(14) emphasizes that the United States supports the people
of Belarus in their quest to maintain their sovereignty,
choose their own leadership, and live in freedom, and
recognizes the extensive efforts of the Belarusian opposition
to coordinate efforts with the United States, the European
Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations to bring free and
fair elections to its people.
____________________