“SEC. 2. Findings.

“(1) Consistently, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the illegitimate leader of Belarus, engages in a pattern of clear and persistent violations of human rights, democratic governance, and fundamental freedoms.

“(2) Alyaksandr Lukashenka has overseen and participated in multiple fundamentally flawed presidential and parliamentary elections undermining the legitimacy of executive, judicial, and legislative authority in Belarus.

“(3) On August 9, 2020, the Government of Belarus conducted a presidential election that was fraudulent and did not meet international standards. There were serious irregularities with ballot counting and the reporting of election results. The Government of Belarus also put in place restrictive measures that impeded the work of local independent observers and did not provide sufficient notice to the OSCE to allow for the OSCE to monitor the elections, as is customary.

“(4) Independent election monitors recognized Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the legitimate winner of the August 9, 2020 election for president in Belarus following her candidacy after her husband, opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky, was imprisoned for challenging Lukashenka for president in 2020.

“(5) Following threats to her safety, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was forced into exile in Lithuania after Mr. Lukashenka claimed victory in the fraudulent 2020 elections, and since that time, the Government of Lithuania has hosted the Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian Democratic Leader, and the Government of Poland has hosted the Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet.

“(6) Thousands of employees at Belarusian state-owned enterprises went on strike across the country to protest Mr. Lukashenka’s illegitimate election and the subsequent crackdowns on peaceful protestors to the contested results of the election, including at some of Belarus’s largest factories such as the BelAZ truck plant, the Minsk Tractor Works, and the Minsk Automobile Plant.

“(7) After the August 9, 2020, presidential election, the Government of Belarus restricted the free flow of information to silence the opposition and to conceal the regime’s violent crackdown on peaceful protestors, including by stripping the accreditation of journalists from major foreign news outlets, disrupting internet access, limiting access to social media and other digital communication platforms, and detaining and harassing countless journalists.

“(8) The Government of Belarus, led by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues to subject thousands of pro-democracy political activists and peaceful protesters to harassment, beatings, enforced disappearance, and imprisonment, particularly as a result of their attempts to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of assembly and association, including following violent crackdowns on peaceful protestors and mass detentions of peaceful protesters resisting the results of the contested 2020 election.

“(9) Women serve as the leading force in demonstrations across the country, protesting police brutality and mass detentions by wearing white, carrying flowers, forming ‘solidarity chains’, and unmasking undercover police trying to arrest demonstrators.

“(10) The Government of Belarus, led by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, suppresses independent media and journalists and restricts access to the internet, including social media and other digital communication platforms, in violation of the right to freedom of speech and expression of those dissenting from the dictatorship of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

“(11) The Government of Belarus, led by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has criminalized access to independent media sources and media channels, including foreign media, by designating such sources and channels as extremist and conducting arbitrary arrests and detainments of media workers, activists, and users.

“(12) The Government of Belarus, led by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, continues a systematic campaign of harassment, repression, and closure of nongovernmental organizations, including independent trade unions and entrepreneurs, creating a climate of fear that inhibits the development of civil society and social solidarity.

“(13) The Government of Belarus, led by Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has pursued a policy undermining the country’s sovereignty and independence by making Belarus political, economic, cultural, and societal interests subservient to those of Russia.

“(14) Against the will of the majority of the Belarusian people, Russian President Vladimir Putin has propped up the Alyaksandr Lukashenka regime, including by offering security assistance, providing significant financial support, and sending Russian propagandists to help disseminate pro-regime and pro-Kremlin propaganda on Belarus state television.

“(15) Efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation to subsume Belarus into its sphere of influence and consider Belarus as part of the Russian empire or as a ‘Union State’ include security, political, economic, and ideological integration between Russia and Belarus, which intensified in 2020 after President Putin supported Mr. Lukashenka’s illegitimate election and resulted in the Government of Belarus permitting Russian troops to use Belarusian territory to conduct military exercises ahead of the February 2022 further invasion of Ukraine and staging part of the February 2022 further invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory, including by providing Russia with the use of airbases which allowed Russia to shoot artillery and missiles from Belarusian territory into Ukraine.

“(16) The United States Government and United States partners and allies have imposed sanctions on Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the Government of Belarus in response to anti-democratic activities and human rights abuses for more than 20 years, including in response to the Government of Belarus’ support for Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine, which include property blocking and visa restrictions and export restrictions.

“(17) The Kremlin has provided the Government of Belarus with loans amounting to more than $1,500,000,000 dollars to prop up Lukashenka’s illegitimate regime and Russia continues to provide Belarus with access to an economic market to avoid the impacts of United States and allied countries’ sanctions on key Belarusian industries.

“(18) The Government of Belarus is relied upon by the Government of the Russian Federation to increase production of ammunition and other military equipment to facilitate the Kremlin’s crimes of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the illegal war in Ukraine.

“(19) Since before the 2022 further invasion of Ukraine, the Government of Belarus has hosted Russian troops on Belarusian territory and enabled the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty by Russia in February 2022 and since the further invasion of Ukraine, the Government of Belarus has also hosted Russian mercenary fighters and reportedly hosted Russian nuclear warheads.

“(20) The international community has seen credible evidence that children forcibly removed from Ukraine by Russia during the further invasion of Ukraine have transited through the territory of Belarus or been illegally removed to the territory of Belarus with support from Alyaksandr Lukashenka and been subjected to Russian re-education programs.

“(21) The Government of Belarus’ continued support of Russia, especially in the unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine, and continued oppression of the Belarusian people may amount to crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

“(22) The Government of Belarus also threatens the safety, security, and sovereignty of European countries, including NATO allies Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, by facilitating illegal migration through the territory of Belarus, resulting in efforts by the United States to support a Customs and Border Patrol Technical Assessment in Latvia to ensure European allies and partners can secure their borders.

“(23) The Government of Lithuania and other United States partners and allies host independent Belarusian free media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Minsk bureau, and facilitate information and content in the Belarusian language, which the Lukashenka regime has dismissed and de-facto outlawed as an inferior language to Russian for the purpose of facilitating Russification campaigns in Belarus.

“(24) The governments of Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and other European partners host members of the Belarusian pro-democracy movement, including political leaders, free and independent media, and exiled civil society groups and provide essential support to these individuals and groups that make up the Belarus democracy movement.

“(25) The Government of Belarus has further attempted to suppress freedom of movement of Belarusian people and Belarusian diaspora and retaliate against those Belarusians living overseas and who have fled the Lukashenka regime by refusing to provide overseas passport services.

“(26) The International Civil Aviation Organization found that the Government of Belarus committed an act of unlawful interference when it deliberately diverted Ryanair Flight 9478 in order to arrest two Belarusian citizens, including an opposition activist and journalist.

“(27) The Belarus democracy movement has legitimate aspirations for a transatlantic future for the people of Belarus and continue to seek justice for those imprisoned and oppressed by the Lukashenka regime and resist Russian encroachment on Belarusian territory, culture, and identity.”.

“SEC. 3. Statement of policy.

“(1) to condemn the conduct of the August 9, 2020, presidential election and crackdown on opposition candidates, members of the Coordination Council, peaceful protestors, employees from state-owned enterprises participating in strikes, independent election observers, and independent journalists and bloggers;

“(2) to recognize Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya as the Democratic Leader of Belarus;

“(3) to refuse to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimately elected leader of Belarus;

“(4) to seek to engage with the United Transitional Cabinet as the executive body that represents the aspirations and beliefs of the Belarusian people and as a legitimate institution to participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power and support its stated objectives of—

“(A) defending the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus;

“(B) representing the national interests of Belarus;

“(C) carrying out the de-facto de-occupation of Belarus;

“(D) restoring constitutional legality and the rule of law;

“(E) developing and implementing measures to thwart illegal retention of power;

“(F) ensuring the transition of power from dictatorship to democracy;

“(G) creating conditions for free and fair elections in Belarus; and

“(H) developing and implementing solutions needed to secure democratic changes in Belarus;

“(5) to continue to call for the immediate release without preconditions of all political prisoners in Belarus;

“(6) to continue to support the aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law;

“(7) to continue to support actively the aspirations of the people of the Republic of Belarus to preserve the independence and sovereignty of their country and to pursue a Euro-Atlantic future;

“(8) not to recognize any incorporation of Belarus into a ‘Union State’ with Russia, as this so-called ‘Union State’ would be both an attempt to absorb Belarus and a step to reconstituting the totalitarian Soviet Union;

“(9) to condemn efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation to undermine the sovereignty and independence of Belarus, and to continue to implement policies, including sanctions, that serve to punish Russia for its anti-democratic and illegal actions involving Belarus;

“(10) to continue to reject the fraudulent victory of Mr. Lukashenka on August 9, 2020, and to support calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections, conducted in a manner that is free and fair according to OSCE standards and under the supervision of OSCE observers and independent domestic observers;

“(11) to continue to call for the fulfillment by the Government of Belarus of Belarus’s freely undertaken obligations as an OSCE participating state and as a signatory of the Charter of the United Nations;

“(12) to support an OSCE role in mediating a dialogue within Belarus between the government and genuine representatives of Belarusian society;

“(13) to support international efforts to launch investigations into the Government of Belarus and individuals associated with the Government of Belarus for war crimes and crimes against humanity against the people of Belarus and the people of Ukraine for their actions during the further invasion of Ukraine;

“(14) to support a United States diplomatic presence to engage with the people of Belarus, including the regular appointment of a United States Special Envoy to Belarus until such a time that the credentials of a United States Ambassador to Belarus are recognized by the Government of Belarus;

“(15) to continue to work closely with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and other countries and international organizations, to promote the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Belarus;

“(16) to remain open to reevaluating United States policy toward Belarus as warranted by demonstrable progress made by the Government of Belarus consistent with the aims of this Act, as stated in this section;

“(17) to express concern in the event that social media or technology companies move to block independent media content or participate in media blackouts that prevent free and independent media services from transmitting information into Belarus;

“(18) to continue to support Belarusian language and cultural programs, including by supporting Belarusian language independent media programs, and Belarusian civil society, including efforts to restore democracy and the regular function of democratic institutions in Belarus;

“(19) to work with the Belarusian democratic movement and European allies and partners to ensure Belarusian nationals living outside of Belarus have access to national identification documentation following the Lukashenka regime’s decision to stop supplying overseas passport services to Belarusians;

“(20) to provide technical support to the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus and European allies and partners to develop and implement national identification documents (New Belarusian Passport) that will enable the more than 2,000,000 Belarusians living abroad to access freedom of movement and essential services while maintaining Belarusian national identity and unity;

“(21) to include Belarusian nationals living in Ukraine as of February 24, 2022, in the Uniting For Ukraine program to provide a pathway for Belarusian nations and their immediate family members outside of the United States to come to the United States and stay for a period of not more than two years of parole and subject those Belarusian nationals to the same qualifications for entry into the program as Ukrainian nationals;

“(22) to engage in the United States-Belarus democratic movement strategic dialogue when necessary to reaffirm commitments to promoting freedom and democracy in Belarus and promote efforts to restore free and open presidential and parliamentary elections in Belarus that are conducted consistent with OSCE standards and under the supervision of OSCE observers and independent domestic observers;

“(23) to refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Lukashenka regime to enter into any international agreements or treaties;

“(24) to advocate for the inclusion of the Belarus democratic movement to participate in international institutions and be granted Permanent Observer Status by the United Nations General Assembly;

“(25) to establish a Belarus service at Voice of America through the United States Agency for Global Media that broadcasts in the Belarusian language;

“(26) to continue to support the Governments of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland in providing critical support to the Belarusian government, civil society, and media in exile;

“(27) to transfer when applicable existing bilateral funding for Belarus toward sustaining pro-democracy and civil society initiatives outside the territory of Belarus;

“(28) to continue to ban ticket sales for air travel to Belarus until such a time that civilians do not face random arrests by the Government of Belarus, a ban that was enacted following the unlawful actions of the Government of Belarus to deliberately divert Ryanair Flight 9478; and

“(29) to continue to work with international allies and partners to coordinate support for the people of Belarus and their legitimate aspirations for a free, open, and democratic society and the regular conduct of free and fair elections.”.