On February 25, Belarus held fraudulent parliamentary elections aimed to falsely project Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s legitimacy to audiences both inside Belarus and on the global stage. The elections happened amidst mass political repression, curtailment of all human rights, and Russia’s gradual subversion of Belarusian sovereignty.

We urge all Belarusian Americans and allies: please contact your Senators and ask that they co-sponsor S. 3395 - Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2023. This bill reauthorizes the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004, recognizes the war crimes and human rights violations perpetrated by the illegitimate Lukashenka regime, and expands the support of the aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law by the U.S. government.

Belarus Freedom Forum urges the U.S. Congress to pass the supplemental funding for Ukraine. The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine is a broad and imminent threat to global security and the safety and prosperity of Americans. If this invasion is allowed to succeed, it will undoubtedly invite more acts of aggression by Russia, China, Iran, and other authoritarian regimes against the U.S. and its allies and partners around the world. An increase in armed conflicts will increase food insecurity, create more refugees, raise fuel prices, and disrupt supply chains. Providing aid to Ukraine now is the most cost-effective way to mitigate this risk.

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) sent a letter (PDF) to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Department of State Secretary Antony Blinken urging the Biden administration to designate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Belarus. TPS provides protection to foreign nationals in the United States whose home countries are experiencing temporary and extraordinary conditions, including armed conflict and natural disasters, among other circumstances that make a return home unsafe. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is a cosigner of the letter in the Senate.

Dear Secretary Mayorkas: We, members of the Belarusian-American community, urgently request that you grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Belarus and Special Student Relief for Belarusians studying in the US. Belarus satisfies the third condition for granting TPS: political repression in Belarus has created the extraordinary and temporary condition of a political and humanitarian crisis that prevents Belarusians from returning safely to Belarus. Further, Belarus is participating in Russia’s war against Ukraine as a staging ground and launch site for attacks on Ukraine, satisfying the first condition for granting TPS. Both of these qualifying conditions for TPS threaten US national interests and sovereignty.

Lukashenka’s new decree forces Belarusians to take chances on imprisonment in Belarus or be trapped abroad without documents. The United States should not tolerate the rogue government of Belarus forcing Belarusians residing legally inside the U.S. into an untenable choice between statelessness and arbitrary imprisonment. Granting Belarusians Temporary Protected Status and Special Student Relief will demonstrate the United States’ dedication to supporting democracy and human rights against dictatorship and oppression.

As the courageous mass protests and the ongoing brutal oppression in Belarus fade from public attention in the U.S., we see growing criticism of the sanctions imposed on the Lukashenka regime by the U.S. and its democratic allies. While a critical reassessment of the U.S. policy towards Belarus is always worthwhile, and Belarus Freedom Forum has published our vision of the U.S. policy on Belarus, we believe that much of the recent criticism of Belarus sanctions is misleading and the idea of relaxing sanctions on the Lukashenka regime is harmful both to the prospect of democracy in Belarus and to global security.

On August 9, the Belarusians who fled the Lukashenka dictatorial regime mark the third anniversary of the Belarusian mass protests against the dictatorship and the fraudulent presidential elections of 2020. Rallies in honor of the protests are planned in 38 cities in the United States and the European Union, where the Belarusian exiles have found refuge. This day has become a tribute to the lives of those killed and persecuted by the regime, a tribute to a courageous battle against the ruthless dictatorship, and a new step toward freedom and democracy for the Belarusian nation.

Use this script to call your elected officials and ask them to get Belarus designated for Temporary Protected Status. Call the Washington, DC, office and ask to speak with the foreign policy advisor. If they are unavailable, leave a message with the receptionist. If you get their voicemail inbox, please leave a message.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023, marked a new low in the developing tragedy in Belarus. In the early morning, Belarusian society was shocked by the death of a prominent artist and political prisoner, Ales Pushkin. Ales died in the custody of Belarusian prison authorities under unclear circumstances after being rushed from prison to an intensive care unit. According to sources, Ales developed stomach ulcers while in prison and was not treated for his medical condition. The Belarus Freedom Forum calls on the Biden-Harris Administration and U.S. Congress to increase pressure on the Lukashenka regime to release all political prisoners and investigate all deaths in police custody.