U.S. Senate passes Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020
<p> MINSK, Dec 23 - PrimePress. The U.S. Senate has passed the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020. The bill expands the U.S. president’s authority to impose sanctions related to Belarus in connection with the disputed 2020 presidential election and subsequent government crackdown. </p> <p> </p> <p> “The President may impose visa-blocking sanctions on any alien who is a member of the Central Election Commission of Belarus or assisted in the manipulation of the August 9, 2020, presidential election, is a government official responsible for the crackdown on independent media, is an official of the Union State (an international organization consisting of Belarus and Russia), or is a Russian individual who has significantly participated in the crackdown on the press or human rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus,” reads the bill. </p> <p> </p> <p> The U.S. does not recognize the election results of August 9, 2020 and incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko as “the legitimately elected leader of Belarus.” The Coordinating Council is recognized “as a legitimate institution to participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power.” </p> <p> </p> <p> The bill calls for holding new presidential and parliamentary elections in a free and fair manner in accordance with OSCE standards, and the immediate release without preconditions of all political prisoners in Belarus. </p> <p> </p> <p> The bill also proposes support for: </p> <p> </p> <p> - the development and use of anti-censorship and circumvention technologies; </p> <p> - the work of women advocating freedom, human rights, and human progress; </p> <p> - the development of Belarusian language education; </p> <p> - enhancing the development of the private sector, particularly the information technology sector, and its role in the economy of Belarus, including by increasing the capacity of private sector actors, developing business support organizations, offering entrepreneurship training, and expanding access to finance for small and medium enterprises; </p> <p> - political refugees in neighboring European countries fleeing the crackdown in Belarus; </p> <p> - the gathering of evidence on and investigating of the human rights abuses in Belarus; </p> <p> - the public health response, including filling the information void, in Belarus during the COVID-19 pandemic; and </p> <p> - support and reallocate resources to radio, television, and internet broadcasting in languages spoken in Belarus by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to the people of Belarus. </p> <p> </p> <p> The bill also suggests extending the ban on entry into the United States for Russian individuals that have significantly participated in the crackdown on independent press or human rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus; members of the Central Election Commission of Belarus or those who assisted the Commission in manipulating the presidential election of August 9, 2020; members of any branch of the security or law enforcement services of Belarus, who are responsible for, or complicit in, ordering, controlling, materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or otherwise directing, the crackdown on opposition leaders, journalists, and peaceful protestors that occurred in connection with the presidential election of August 9, 2020; government officials, including at the Information Ministry, responsible for the crackdown on independent media, including revoking the accreditation of journalists, disrupting internet access, and restricting online content. </p> <p> </p> <p> If the bill is finally enacted, not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media and the Secretary of State shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive strategy, expand independent radio, television, live stream, and social network broadcasting and communications in Belarus to provide news and information, particularly in the Belarusian language, that is credible, comprehensive, and accurate; support the development and use of anti-censorship and circumvention technologies by the Open Technology Fund and the Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor that enable the citizens of Belarus to communicate securely and undertake internet activities without interference from the Government of Belarus; assist efforts to overcome attempts by the Government of Belarus to disrupt internet access and block content online; monitor the cooperation of the Government of Belarus with any foreign government or organization for purposes related to the censorship or surveillance of the internet, including an assessment of any such cooperation in the preceding ten years; monitor the purchase or receipt by the Government of Belarus of any technology or training from any foreign government or organization for purposes related to the censorship or surveillance of the internet, including an assessment of any such purchase or receipt in the preceding ten years. </p> <p> </p> <p> Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the total assets under the direct or indirect control of Alexander Lukashenko, including estimated assets and known sources of income of Alexander Lukashenko and his immediate family members, including assets, investments, bank accounts, and other business interests. </p> <p> </p> <p> The bill will take effect on signature by the President of the United States. End </p> <p> </p>
2020-12-24
Primepress
MINSK, Dec 23 - PrimePress. The U.S. Senate has passed the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020. The bill expands the U.S. president’s authority to impose sanctions related to Belarus in connection with the disputed 2020 presidential election and subsequent government crackdown.
“The President may impose visa-blocking sanctions on any alien who is a member of the Central Election Commission of Belarus or assisted in the manipulation of the August 9, 2020, presidential election, is a government official responsible for the crackdown on independent media, is an official of the Union State (an international organization consisting of Belarus and Russia), or is a Russian individual who has significantly participated in the crackdown on the press or human rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus,” reads the bill.
The U.S. does not recognize the election results of August 9, 2020 and incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko as “the legitimately elected leader of Belarus.” The Coordinating Council is recognized “as a legitimate institution to participate in a dialogue on a peaceful transition of power.”
The bill calls for holding new presidential and parliamentary elections in a free and fair manner in accordance with OSCE standards, and the immediate release without preconditions of all political prisoners in Belarus.
The bill also proposes support for:
- the development and use of anti-censorship and circumvention technologies;
- the work of women advocating freedom, human rights, and human progress;
- the development of Belarusian language education;
- enhancing the development of the private sector, particularly the information technology sector, and its role in the economy of Belarus, including by increasing the capacity of private sector actors, developing business support organizations, offering entrepreneurship training, and expanding access to finance for small and medium enterprises;
- political refugees in neighboring European countries fleeing the crackdown in Belarus;
- the gathering of evidence on and investigating of the human rights abuses in Belarus;
- the public health response, including filling the information void, in Belarus during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- support and reallocate resources to radio, television, and internet broadcasting in languages spoken in Belarus by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to the people of Belarus.
The bill also suggests extending the ban on entry into the United States for Russian individuals that have significantly participated in the crackdown on independent press or human rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus; members of the Central Election Commission of Belarus or those who assisted the Commission in manipulating the presidential election of August 9, 2020; members of any branch of the security or law enforcement services of Belarus, who are responsible for, or complicit in, ordering, controlling, materially assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or otherwise directing, the crackdown on opposition leaders, journalists, and peaceful protestors that occurred in connection with the presidential election of August 9, 2020; government officials, including at the Information Ministry, responsible for the crackdown on independent media, including revoking the accreditation of journalists, disrupting internet access, and restricting online content.
If the bill is finally enacted, not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media and the Secretary of State shall jointly submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive strategy, expand independent radio, television, live stream, and social network broadcasting and communications in Belarus to provide news and information, particularly in the Belarusian language, that is credible, comprehensive, and accurate; support the development and use of anti-censorship and circumvention technologies by the Open Technology Fund and the Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor that enable the citizens of Belarus to communicate securely and undertake internet activities without interference from the Government of Belarus; assist efforts to overcome attempts by the Government of Belarus to disrupt internet access and block content online; monitor the cooperation of the Government of Belarus with any foreign government or organization for purposes related to the censorship or surveillance of the internet, including an assessment of any such cooperation in the preceding ten years; monitor the purchase or receipt by the Government of Belarus of any technology or training from any foreign government or organization for purposes related to the censorship or surveillance of the internet, including an assessment of any such purchase or receipt in the preceding ten years.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the total assets under the direct or indirect control of Alexander Lukashenko, including estimated assets and known sources of income of Alexander Lukashenko and his immediate family members, including assets, investments, bank accounts, and other business interests.
The bill will take effect on signature by the President of the United States. End