[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                BELARUS

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship 
began on May 9 in Minsk, Belarus, one of the last vestiges of 
authoritarianism in Europe. By hosting a global sports competition that 
promotes integrity and observes uniform regulations, Belarus should 
take this opportunity to show the international community that it will 
follow suit and support the fundamental rights and freedoms of its 
citizens.
  This year also marks the 20th year of President Lukashenka's iron-
fisted Presidency whose elections have been marred by the detention of 
political opponents and civil society actors, as well as the lack of an 
open and free press. During his rule, he has eliminated all political 
opposition, eroded the rule of law, and curtailed the freedoms of 
expression, assembly, and association.
  President Lukashenka, the international community calls on you to 
support the right of every Belarusian citizen to be free. We call on 
you to take decisive steps towards making Belarus an open and 
democratic country where the rules of politics, as well as those of 
sports, are governed by free and fair standards.

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