Sec. ?.
606 words·~3 min read·
/bill/117/hres/124/eh/section-A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
That the House of Representatives— finds that the August 9, 2020, presidential election in Belarus was neither free nor fair and, therefore, does not recognize the government-announced results or Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimate President of Belarus; calls for new free and fair elections under Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe observation; affirms that the people of Belarus have the right to determine the future of Belarus without unwelcome intervention from the Russian Federation or any outside actors in violation of Belarusian independence and sovereignty; condemns the human rights violations committed by Belarusian authorities, including against peaceful demonstrators, civil society activists, opposition leaders, students, educators, employees at state-owned enterprises, medical personnel, and journalists, and calls for such authorities to halt any further acts of violence against civilians; calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners and those unlawfully detained in connection with the peaceful demonstrations including independent journalists and family members of United States citizens; recognizes the sacrifices and bravery of the Belarusian people and the incredible organization by Belarusian women to peacefully demand a free and fair democratic process while enduring the state-sponsored violence that followed the August 9, 2020, election; calls on Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Belarusian authorities to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with the opposition members and other stakeholders to bring about a peaceful transition of power; calls for the protection of civil society actors and members of the opposition against arbitrary arrest and violence while conducting peaceful discussions relating to the peaceful transition of power in Belarus; recognizes the Coordination Council established by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as a legitimate institution to participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power; urges continued cooperation among the United States and its transatlantic allies and partners to explore avenues in support of the democratic movement in Belarus; calls for further targeted sanctions coordinated between the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other allies and partners against Belarusian authorities who committed human rights violations and engaged in activities that resulted in the falsification of the August 9, 2020, election results; encourages when considering, in coordination with transatlantic partners, the sanctioning of Belarusian state-owned companies that have directly violated the rights of their workers as a result of their participation in or in connection to the ongoing democratic movement in Belarus that the Administration take into consideration the potential implications of making these companies more vulnerable to takeovers by Russian or Chinese state-owned companies; calls on the transatlantic community to review and consider reassessing any financial assistance that supports the Lukashenka regime, including participation in state debt issuances or procurement contracts; supports increasing funds available for foreign assistance to Belarusian civil society groups as well as legal assistance for activists and independent journalists, among others, as called for in the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020; urges the President to provide the United States Agency for Global Media with a surge capacity (as such term is defined in section 316 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 ( 22 U.S.C. 6216 )) for programs and activities in Belarus, including to protect the brave independent journalists reporting from within Belarus as called for in the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020; calls for an international investigation into the human rights abuses committed during and after the August 9, 2020, presidential election; and continues to support the aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and reaffirms that the fulfillment of such aspirations is critical to ensuring the continued strength of Belarusian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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