Expressing the sense of the Senate on the political repression in Belarus on the two-year anniversary of the August 2020, fraudulent presidential election.

continues, on the second anniversary of the fraudulent presidential election that took place in Belarus on August 9, 2020, to refuse to recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the legitimately elected leader of Belarus;

condemns the ongoing harassment and persecution of opposition leaders, civil society activists, human rights defenders, and independent media carried out by the Lukashenka regime, and urges the immediate release, without preconditions, of all political prisoners in Belarus, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski, as well as for all representatives of democratic forces, civil society, and independent media in exile to be able to return home without fear of persecution or prosecution;

calls for new presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in Belarus, conducted in a manner that meets international standards and includes independent election monitoring;

condemns the shameful and self-serving support provided by the Lukashenka regime for Russian President Putin’s savage war in Ukraine;

welcomes continued and coordinated sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union and other tools to support democracy in Belarus;

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

encourages President Biden to swiftly appoint a new Special Envoy for Belarus to support the pro-democracy movement; and

stands in solidarity with the many brave Belarusians, such as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who continue to strive for a free and democratic Belarus.