In early August, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the authoritarian ruler of Belarus for the last 26 years, often referred to as “the last dictator in Europe”, blatantly rigged a presidential election that was denounced as neither free nor fair by every major democratic country in the world, including the U.S.
Following the fraudulent election, historic massive protests swept the entire country, with people demanding rights and freedoms promised to them by the Belarusian Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In response, Lukashenka unleashed truly barbaric violence and oppression against peaceful rallies and strikes, while also restricting the free flow of information by disrupting Internet access and silencing journalists. Over 10,000 people were arrested and jailed, hundreds were gravely injured, and several protesters were killed. Many experienced inhumane treatment by the security forces in detention centers, as evidenced by over 500 documented cases of torture. Scores, including a U.S. citizen, Vitali Shkliarov, are still being held prisoners on spurious, politically motivated charges.
Despite the brutal crackdown, Belarusians continue to impress the world with their courage and determination. Every weekend since the election, they keep flooding the streets in tens of thousands all over the country in defiance of the Lukashenka’s repressive machine. Thousands of employees at Belarusian government agencies and state-owned enterprises, who have been always seen as the core Lukashenka’s electorate, went on strike or resigned in protest against the illegitimate election and security forces’ violence.
At the end of September, deaf to the calls for a new election from within the country and the world community, and fully reliant on his only ally, Vladimir Putin, Lukashenka secretly inaugurated himself, further indicating his rejection of any dialogue. By cutting all ties with the West and pushing Belarus into complete dependency on Russia, Lukashenka intends to trade Belarus’ sovereignty for his own political future. An attempt to further integrate or incorporate Belarus into Russia may lead to similar disastrous scenario seen in Ukraine’s Donbass region and Crimea being played out right at the NATO borders.
With regards to the situation in Belarus, Rep. Chris Smith introduced the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 (H.R. 8438). The bill, cosponsored by a broad bipartisan group, calls for, among others:
Support of the aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy, human rights, sovereignty, and the rule of law
A new presidential election in Belarus in accordance with OSCE standards
Assistance to avert attempts by the Government of Belarus to harass independent and foreign media operating in Belarus, disrupt Internet access, and block content online
Immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus, including the U.S. citizen Vitali Shkliarov
Refusal to recognize any incorporation of Belarus into a so-called “Union State” under the control of Russia
Investigation of Russia’s efforts to undermine Belarus’ sovereignty and independence as well as measures to deter the Government of Russia from doing so in the future
Expansion of the list of persons under U.S. sanctions to include those directly responsible for elections fraud and violence against the peaceful protesters
Coordination with the European Union and its member states, the United Kingdom, and Canada to develop a comprehensive, multilateral strategy to further the purposes of the Act
A free and democratic Belarus is at the core of the U.S. national interests in Eastern Europe. The Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020 will set in motion robust mechanisms to promote democracy in Belarus and ensure its sovereignty, thus strengthening security in a region crucial for the U.S. and its allies. Therefore, I urge you to vote for the bill.
Sincerely,