Expressing the sense of the Senate on the political situation in Belarus.

continues, on the first anniversary of the illegitimate presidential election in Belarus on August 9, 2020, to refuse to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimately elected leader of Belarus;

condemns Lukashenka's ongoing crackdown on members of the pro-democracy movement, senior members of the Coordination Council, peaceful protesters, employees from state-owned enterprises participating in strikes, independent election observers, independent journalists and bloggers, medical professionals, professors, teachers, athletes, and cultural leaders;

continues to call for the fulfillment by the Government of Belarus of Belarus' freely undertaken obligations as an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) member and accept the OSCE’s offer to facilitate a national dialogue and fully participate in the OSCE process;

calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in Belarus, conducted in a manner that is free and fair according to OSCE standards and under the supervision of OSCE observers and independent domestic observers;

welcomes the United States Government’s close coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, other allied and partner countries, and international organizations to promote the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Belarus and encourages continued coordination to apply maximal pressure on the Lukashenka regime;

continues to call for the immediate release, without preconditions, of all political prisoners in Belarus;

calls for the unconditional release of all political prisoners and journalists detained on dubious charges, including opposition candidates Sergei Tikhanovsky and Viktar Babaryka, pro-democracy activist Maria Kalesnikava, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalists Ihar Losik, Aleh Hruzdzilovich, and Andrey Kuznechyk;

condemns the forced diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 to arrest Raman Pratasevich and his partner Sofia Sapega, which violated international civil aviation law and risked the lives of innocent passengers and crew, and calls for their immediate unconditional release;

commends the bravery of Belarusians who have created innovative ways to protest Lukashenka's autocracy and applauds the Belarusian diaspora's efforts to maintain international focus on the deteriorating political situation;

lauds the extraordinary support offered by the Governments of Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland to support the people of Belarus, including support for the political opposition, accommodation of political refugees, and backing a free media;

calls on the Lukashenka regime to immediately halt exploiting and instrumentalizing migrants and to stop directing individuals to the borders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland;

welcomes the Executive order announced on August 9, 2021, that applies additional sanctions on the Lukashenka regime and urges the Biden Administration to consider further tools at its disposal to support democracy in Belarus;

welcomes the European Union sanctions imposed on the Lukashenka regime and urges the United States to continue to coordinate additional measures with the European Union; and

emphasizes that the United States supports the people of Belarus in their quest to maintain their sovereignty, choose their own leadership, and live in freedom, and recognizes the extensive efforts of the Belarusian opposition to coordinate efforts with the United States, the European Union, the OSCE, and the United Nations to bring free and fair elections to its people.