WASHINGTON — Exiled Belarusian opposition chief Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has referred to as on U.S. lawmakers to materially help the Belarusian democracy motion overseas and tighten sanctions on authoritarian chief Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a push for a transparent U.S. technique for her nation.
In testimony on Capitol Hill on December 5, Tsikhanouskaya additionally requested U.S. lawmakers to induce the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) to research Lukashenka for the deportation of Ukrainian kids to Belarus and again extra navy help to Kyiv, saying her nation’s freedom hinges on Ukraine defeating Russia.
Tsikhanouskaya’s go to to Washington comes as Congress is embroiled in debate over a invoice that will ship billions of {dollars} in navy help to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, elevating questions how a lot bandwidth lawmakers and the White Home have for Belarus proper now. She sought to hammer dwelling that supporting the Belarus opposition is within the U.S. nationwide curiosity.
”Supporting free Belarus isn’t charity. It is your funding into the worldwide peace and safety,” she informed lawmakers, utilizing the identical pitch that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered to Congress almost a yr in the past as he sought extra U.S. help for his nation’s struggle towards Russia.
Tsikhanouskaya requested lawmakers to ”present materials help” to the Belarusian opposition, their relations, and media. She mentioned members of the Belarusian opposition residing overseas, together with herself, are paying a “huge value” for his or her dogged pursuit of democracy and “we will’t do it alone.”
Belarusian authorities final week raided about 200 houses belonging to members of the federal government in exile and their household. The authorities mentioned they’d search to expropriate property. Kinfolk of a number of members of the federal government in exile, together with Tsikhanouskaya’s husband, are in jail.
She mentioned the opposition wants cash to counter the huge assets Russia spends on propaganda and disinformation in Belarus in addition to to assist its members who’ve suffered terribly below Lukashenka.
There are about 1,500 political prisoners in Belarus, in response to the U.S. State Division, most of whom had been jailed following mass demonstrations to protest the declared end result of the August 2020 election. Lukashenka claimed to defeat Tsikhanouskaya with 80 % in a vote the opposition referred to as rigged. Tsikhanouskaya and different main members of the opposition fled Belarus to keep away from persecution together with 1000’s of different residents.
Belarus treats political prisoners harshly, and people exiting now are in ”terrible bodily and emotional state,” Tsikhanouskaya mentioned.
”These folks want rehabilitation and we have to help the group of rehabilitation packages so folks don’t really feel that they’ve been deserted” after risking their lives for democracy, she informed the lawmakers.
Consultant Invoice Keating (Democrat-Massachusetts) informed the listening to that Congress had appropriated $30 million for Belarusian civil society and democracy.
Sanctions
Tsikhanouskaya additionally referred to as on lawmakers to increase sanctions to incorporate Belarusian wooden and metal and to shut loopholes that permit Lukashenka to avoid current sanctions.
As Tsikhanouskaya testified, the U.S. Treasury Division introduced a raft of sanctions concentrating on a number of entities and people that it mentioned generate income for Lukashenka and help Russia’s warfare in Ukraine. The sanctions additionally goal the pinnacle of the Belarus Crimson Cross, accusing him of being complicit within the deportation of Ukrainian kids to Russia.
Tsikhanouskaya accused the Lukashenka regime of accepting about 2,000 kids from Russian-occupied Ukraine. She mentioned the opposition has despatched ”tons of proof” to the ICC and, lamenting that no motion had been taken but, she requested Congress to push the ICC to open an investigation.
The ICC earlier this yr issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian commissioner for youngsters’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the deportation of Ukrainian kids to Russia.
”Folks should really feel that dictators should not really feel impunity for his or her crimes,” she informed the lawmakers.
Envoy, Ukraine Assist
Tsikhanouskaya is visiting Washington with different members of the Belarusian exiled authorities to participate in a brand new initiative organized by the State Division that seeks to coordinate varied U.S. authorities efforts aimed toward supporting the Belarusian democratic motion.
The so-called Strategic Dialogue will happen December 6-7 on the State Division and embrace members of Belarusian civil society and human rights defenders.
She mentioned she hopes the dialogue will result in a transparent U.S. technique for Belarus, together with its place in a post-Ukraine warfare safety structure.
Tsikhanouskaya additionally informed Congress she desires the White Home to nominate a particular envoy for Belarus to assist be a “bridge” between the opposition and the U.S. authorities and to assist coordinate a whole-of-government technique towards Belarus.
“We have to clearly perceive what would be the future steps of the U.S. [government] and that is why we’d like this particular person,” she informed lawmakers.
Tsikhanouskaya urged Congress to approve extra navy help for Kyiv, saying the destiny of Ukraine and Belarus are intertwined.
Congress has been unable to move new help for Ukraine for months as Republicans tie the cargo of weapons to Kyiv with border safety and U.S. immigration reform. The White Home on December 4 warned that present help to Ukraine will run out by the top of the month if a brand new invoice is not handed.
“With out a free Ukraine, there shall be no free Belarus but additionally vice versa. We now have to keep in mind that with no free, unbiased Belarus, there shall be a continuing risk to the safety of the entire area of Europe. So assist Ukraine to win this warfare.”