[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                          THE FUTURE OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY 
                                     IN BELARUS

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                         SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE

                                 OF THE

                      COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                            December 5, 2023

                               __________

                           Serial No. 118-69

                               __________

        Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
        
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     
                       
                      COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

                   MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas, Chairman

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey     GREGORY MEEKS, New York, Ranking 
JOE WILSON, South Carolina               Member
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania	     BRAD SHERMAN, California	
DARRELL ISSA, California	     GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
ANN WAGNER, Missouri		     WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
BRIAN MAST, Florida		     AMI BERA, California
KEN BUCK, Colorado		     JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
TIM BURCHETT, Tennessee		     DINA TITUS, Nevada
MARK E. GREEN, Tennessee	     TED LIEU, California
ANDY BARR, Kentucky		     SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania
RONNY JACKSON, Texas		     DEAN PHILLIPS, Minnesota
YOUNG KIM, California		     COLIN ALLRED, Texas
MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR, Florida	     ANDY KIM, New Jersey
BILL HUIZENGA, Michigan		     SARA JACOBS, California
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, 	     KATHY MANNING, North Carolina
    American Samoa		     SHEILA CHERFILUS-McCORMICK, 
FRENCH HILL, Arkansas		          Florida	
WARREN DAVIDSON, Ohio		     GREG STANTON, Arizona
JIM BAIRD, Indiana		     MADELEINE DEAN, Pennsylvania
MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida	             JARED MOSKOWITZ, Florida
THOMAS KEAN, JR., New Jersey         JONATHAN JACKSON, Illinois
MICHAEL LAWLER, New York	     SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE, California
CORY MILLS, Florida		     JIM COSTA, California
RICH McCORMICK, Georgia              JASON CROW, Colorado
NATHANIEL MORAN, Texas		     BRAD SCHNEIDER, Illinois
JOHN JAMES, Michigan
KEITH SELF, Texas

                    Brendan Shields, Staff Director
                    Sophia Lafargue, Staff Director

                         Subcommittee on Europe

                 THOMAS KEAN, JR., New Jersey, Chairman

JOE WILSON, North Carolina           WILLIAM KEATING, 
DARRELL ISSA, California                 Massachusetts,Ranking Member
ANN WAGNER, Missouri		     DINA TITUS, Nevada
BILL HUIZENGA, Michigan		     MADELEINE DEAN, Pennsylvania
MICHAEL LAWLER, New York	     JIM COSTA, California
NATHANIEL MORAN, Texas		     SUSAN WILD, Pennsylvania
KEITH SELF, Texas


                      Katie Earle, Staff Director
                            
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

                               WITNESESS

Tsikhanouskaya, Sviatlana, National Leader of Belarus and Head of 
  the United Transitional Cabinet................................     7

                                APPENDIX

Hearing Notice...................................................    31
Hearing Minutes..................................................    32
Hearing Attendance...............................................    33

              ADDITIONAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD

Additional materials submitted for the record from Belaurus 
  Freedom Forum..................................................    34

 
             THE FUTURE OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN BELARUS

                       Tuesday, December 5, 2023

                          House of Representatives,
                             Subcommittee on Europe
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs,
                                                    Washington, DC.

    The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:08 a.m., in 
room 210, House Visitor Center, Hon. Thomas Kean, Jr. (chairman 
of the subcommittee) presiding.
    Mr. Kean. The Subcommittee on Europe of the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee will come to order. The chair would like to 
remind our guests today that demonstrations from the audience, 
including the use of signs and placards, as well as verbal 
outbursts, are a violation of the rules of the House.
    The purpose of this hearing is to discuss the Alexander 
Lukashenko authoritarian repression in Belarus and the brave 
efforts of Belarus's democratic forces in standing up to this 
dictatorship. We will also discuss Lukashenko's complicity in 
Russia's war in Ukraine.
    I'd also like to welcome for the first time Representative 
Gabe Amo to the Subcommittee on Europe. This is Mr. Amo's first 
hearing with the subcommittee, and we look forward to his 
participation at future subcommittee events and meetings.
    I would also like to welcome the gentleman from New Jersey, 
Mr. Smith, who is joining us today. He will participate, 
following all other members in today's hearing.
    I now will recognize myself for an opening statement. 
Alexander Lukashenko is an illegitimate dictator. The 
fraudulent 2020 Belarusian Presidential election made a mockery 
of democracy. His regime has beaten and imprisoned peaceful 
protestors, as well as journalists, including Ihar Losik and 
Andrey Kuznechyk from the Radio Free Europe. As we speak, 
Lukashenko holds nearly 1500 political prisoners behind bars.
    Lukashenko also undermines Belarusian sovereignty. By 
furthering the so-called union State with Russia, he is making 
Belarus a permanent junior partner to the Kremlin.
    Belarusian culture is also under attack by the regime and 
its enablers. Use of the Belarusian language is gradually being 
replaced by Russian, and national symbols, such as the red and 
white flag of independent Belarus are banned.
    Vladimir Putin already considers Belarus and its people to 
be part of Russia. In a speech last month, Putin referred to 
Belarus, as well as Ukraine, as part of the historical Russian 
nation. This revisionism is legitimized by allowing Russia to 
use Belarusian territory to wage its unprovoked war of 
aggression against Ukraine.
    The U.S. must continue to support the democratic 
development of Belarus. I applaud the bravery of leaders, like 
Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, for the efforts to fight tyranny, even from 
exile. Belarus has served as a launch pad for Russia's full-
scale invasion, provided Russia with ammunition, and hosted 
Russian nuclear weapons.
    In addition to these measures, the Lukashenko regime's 
weaponization of refugees by illegally funneling them en masse 
to the borders of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, as well as a 
support for the Wagner Group. Increasing integration with 
Kremlin also presents a threat to NATO.
    Most egregiously, Lukashenko has made Belarus an active 
participant in crimes against abducted Ukrainian children, 
holding thousands of them in facilities in Belarus for so-
called re-education. The international community must hold all 
levels of Lukashenko's regime accountable for these crimes 
alongside his sponsor, Vladimir Putin.
    I applaud U.S. engagement with democratic forces of 
Belarus, as well as the sanctions imposed on Lukashenko, his 
regime, and enablers in response to the domestic crackdowns and 
support of Russia's war in Ukraine. However, more can be done.
    Since June 2022, we have not had a special envoy to 
Belarus. The Biden Administration needs to fix this 
immediately. The U.S. and our allies must also strengthen our 
sanctions to make the cost of continued subjugation of the 
Belarusian people to Lukashenko's repression and Vladimir 
Putin's imperial ambitions too high.
    I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today how U.S. 
assistance can better be directed and what we can do to 
increase the pressure on Lukashenko and his master, Vladimir 
Putin.
    The chair now recognizes the Ranking Member, the gentleman 
from Massachusetts, Mr. Keating, for any statements that he may 
have.
    Mr. Keating. Thank you, Chairman Kean, for holding this 
important hearing today on the future, freedom, and democracy 
of Belarus. The Presidential elections in August 2020 in 
Belarus marked a new chapter in the country's history. Prior to 
the elections, a group of strong, determined, mostly women, 
leaders led hundreds of thousands of protestors in the streets 
of Minsk and other cities in Belarus demanding a better future. 
Those in the streets were not only protesting the brutal and 
authoritarian crackdown of Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled 
Belarus through multiple fraudulent elections, but they were 
advocating for the protection of their civil and human rights, 
freedom of speech and assembly, and the maintenance of the rule 
of law, tenets of any democracy.
    In response to the unprecedented scale and scope of these 
protests against the rule, Lukashenko forcefully arrested, 
beat, detained hundreds, if not thousands, of peaceful 
protestors. He arrested not just the political opposition but 
journalists and other people simply chanting for freedom or 
wearing red and white, the color of the opposition.
    Over the last 3 years since the protests took place, 
Lukashenko's crackdown has only intensified, and he and his 
security services have stifled all dissent inside Belarus. 
Today, over 1,400 political prisoners remain in Belarus, 
including the leaders like the husband of our witness, Sergei 
Tikhanovsky, Maria Kalesnikava, and others like journalists 
Ihar Losik, all people we remember, along with the others who 
are being held today as we conduct this hearing.
    Lukashenko has also extended his repression to Belarusians 
living outside the country. In 2022, Lukashenko amended the 
criminal code to allow for trial in absentia against citizens 
abroad. And in January 1923, a law was passed to enable 
authorities to revoke citizenship for Belarusians living 
abroad. At the same time, Lukashenko has been woefully 
complicit in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, 
assisting authorities in the trafficking of Ukrainian children, 
and allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory as a 
staging ground for its illegal invasion.
    In response to Lukashenko's crackdown at home in support 
for Russia's war, the United States, in concert with our 
European allies, has active forcefully to impose costs on the 
regime. As of December 1st of this year, the U.S. has imposed 
sanctions on 111 individuals and 81 entities engaged in human 
rights abuses, electoral fraud, corruption including major 
financial petrochemical potash manufacturing State-owned 
companies who benefit from the regime's repression, an 
extensive amount of sanctions. An additional 500 Belarusian 
officials have been banned from entering the United States or 
had their U.S. visas suspended or revoked.
    Congress has also acted, passing a resolution in the 117th 
Congress H.R. 124, supporting the people of Belarus and the 
democratic aspirations of that country. This Congress and I and 
other co-chairs in the House Belarusian Caucus, have introduced 
H. Res. 441, which, in addition, calls for the release of all 
political prisoners in Belarus.
    Congress has also appropriated $30 million in supporting 
civil society and democratic opposition in Belarus. Money, I 
believe strongly, must be included in any upcoming 
appropriations package.
    We welcome to this committee the leader of the Belarusian 
opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to shine a spotlight on 
the progress the Belarusian opposition has made toward our 
democratic future. For example, the democratic opposition has 
established a united transitional cabinet and a Coordination 
Council, two bodies dedicated to understanding the needs of 
Belarusians inside and outside the country and advocating for 
effective policy to meet these needs. Such legislative and 
executive bodies are vital to the future of democracy in 
Belarus. Ultimately, united and committed opposition with a 
deep knowledge of the foundation of a democratic system will 
only serve to benefit the people of Belarus.
    The same time of today's hearing comes just as the 
inaugural U.S.-Belarus strategic dialog where the democratic 
opposition occurs. This dialog, which will focus on support for 
the opposition and furthering accountability measures for the 
regime, is a significant step in demonstrating the United 
States' long-term support for the democratic opposition. I'm 
hopeful that additional accountability measures from 
Lukashenko's regime will be announced in the coming days.
    Three years into this movement, I remain optimistic that, 
despite the repression in Belarus, hope remains amongst those 
in exile, the diaspora, and those inside the country with a 
brighter, more democratic future. That hope is why we're here 
for this committee hearing today, and we hope that across the 
world support for Belarus continues to amplify those strong 
voices, those opposition voices, led by our witness here today. 
Today's hearing is another step toward these goals.
    With that, I yield back.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you. I now recognize Mr. Smith for 5 
minutes of opening remarks.
    Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Chairman Kean. And Bill 
Keating, thank you, as the Ranking Member. Tom, I want to thank 
you for calling this very important and timely hearing, for 
your leadership, and that as well as the Ranking Member. It is 
deeply appreciated, I know, by the Belarusians but by every one 
of us who follow this closely. Thank you so much.
    This hearing, of course, is on the future of freedom and 
democracy in Belarus, and it is an honor and a high honor and a 
distinct pleasure to hear from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the 
leader of the free Belarusians everywhere. She has earned this 
position by showing enormous courage and principle, and many of 
us and I believe it, beyond any reasonable doubt, she won the 
election. It was stolen by Lukashenko, so we are talking to the 
person who should be the government leader of Belarus. So thank 
you for not only being on the ballot but being such a tenacious 
campaigner. And, of course, we remember and we pray for not 
only you but your husband and the other political prisoners, 
but your husband, Sergei, for the terrible harshness that he 
has faced in this long, terrible prison sentenced meted out by 
Lukashenko. Your patriotic sacrifice that you are making for 
your county, you will be remembered forever by the Belarusians 
and by all who believe in human rights and democracy.
    You represent millions of Belarusians who suffer under an 
ever-worsening terror campaign by Lukashenko. We know what he 
has done in partnership with Putin to invade Ukraine and all of 
the terrible enabling that he has done, you know, when they 
lied in a bold-faced way that they were just doing maneuvers 
and having war games, all the while preparing for a terrible, 
unprovoked invasion. Lukashenko, I believe, is guilty of war 
crimes, and he needs to be held to account by the ICC and any 
other court that will take this up. He ought to be, along with 
Putin, named for any kind of indictment for what he has done.
    I met with Lukashenko in 2017. As I think you know, in 
2004, I was the author of the Belarus Democracy Act and did the 
updates and expansions in 1906, 2012, and then working with my 
good friend and colleague, Bill Keating, we expanded it in 
2020. And Lukashenko, at a meeting, I was barred from going 
there until the OSCE had a parliamentary assembly in Lithuania 
and 11 of us traveled over to meet with him and to argue with 
him, and he called me public enemy No. 1. You know, big deal, I 
leave the country. You and all of your fellow Belarusians go to 
jail, not you but your husband, for being such stalwart 
believers in freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and 
fundamental human rights.
    I am circulating to the other members the Belarus Democracy 
Act and Human Rights and Sovereignty Act of 2023, which we hope 
to move as quickly as we can. He will not like that either. 
Tough. We need to pass it, we need to pass it quickly. And it 
will provide a number of things, including temporary protective 
status for Belarusians who are here; again, the special envoy 
to coordinate efforts in support of freedom-loving Belarusians; 
and updates U.S. sanctions and reporting to Congress on 
Lukashenko's support for the war in Ukraine, as well as his 
despicable behavior. So we'll be working on that.
    But, again, I cannot thank you enough. All of us feel this 
way. I chair the human rights committee of this Foreign Affairs 
Committee, and we watch everything that is going on in Belarus, 
and it is awful. And you are such a noble and patriotic leader, 
for which we all have such deep respect. Thank you.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Congressman Smith. And thank you for 
your extraordinary leadership on this issue over such a long 
period of time. Thank you for joining us here today, as well. 
Other members of the subcommittee are reminded that opening 
statements may be submitted for the record.
    We're pleased to have a distinguished witness before us 
today on this important topic. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is a 
national leader of Belarus and head of the United Transitional 
Cabinet. Thank you for being here today. Your full statement 
will be made part of the record, and I'll ask that you keep 
your verbal remarks to 5 minutes in order to allow time for 
member questions.
    I now recognize Ms. Tsikhanouskaya for her opening 
statement.

   STATEMENT OF SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKAYA, NATIONAL LEADER OF 
      BELARUS AND HEAD OF THE UNITED TRANSITIONAL CABINET

    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Dear Chairman Kean, Ranking Member 
Keating, honorable members of subcommittee. Let me express 
gratitude to the U.S. Congress and the American people for many 
years of support of the democratic aspirations of the 
Belarusian people. I am confident that Belarus will become a 
truly independent, a reliable partner, and a member of the 
European Union and Trans-Atlantic Community. But to achieve 
this goal, we must dismantle the illegitimate regime of 
dictator Lukashenka, who, with Russia's help and under its 
control, has reserved power.
    In 2020, Belarusians made a clear choice in favor of 
democracy, freedom, and human rights. However, the dictator 
refused to step down and drowned the Nation in terror. Sixty 
thousand were detained. Hundreds of thousands had to flee. 
Thousands of political prisoners were taken hostages, including 
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, my colleague Maria 
Kalesnikava, Presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, activist 
Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, journalist Ihar Losik, and my husband 
Sergei Tikhanovsky sentenced to 19 years. My children did not 
see their daddy for three and a half years, and, since March, 
they see I have not heard anything from him and I do not know 
if he is alive. People in prisons are tortured and kept 
incommunicado. More than a hundred people are in critical 
condition and might not survive. The release of political 
prisoners is a matter of urgency.
    Lukashenko's regime became a threat to the entire Europe. 
It hijacked the Ryanair flight to kidnap the dissident 
journalist. It continues sending illegal migrants to the border 
with Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia. It dragged our country into 
Russian's aggression against Ukraine and continues to support 
the war with weapons, infrastructure, training, airspace, and 
land. Dictator participated in the abduction of Ukrainian 
children from the occupied territories.
    For Putin's support, Lukashenko pays with our sovereignty. 
Russia is taking control of the Belarus economy, national 
security, foreign affairs, and media. There is an ongoing 
Russian attack on Belarusian culture, language, and national 
identity. Russia expands its neutral presence in Belarus. 
Recently it deployed nuclear weapons on our land.
    We support Ukraine's just war for its survival because the 
fates of our countries are intertwined. We fight against the 
same evil and for the same values. Without a free Belarus, 
there will be no free Ukraine and vice versa.
    We understand the changes in Belarus is our responsibility, 
but we cannot do it alone. We need U.S. support. We applaud the 
U.S. State Department and Presidential decision to launch 
strategic dialog with Belarus and democratic forces. We call on 
the U.S. to support our efforts to preserve independence and 
restore democracy in our Nation. The appointment of the U.S. 
special envoy should help build a coalition for independent, 
democratic Belarus.
    We ask to recognize agreements signed by the dictator with 
Russia as void and impose new sanctions against Russia for its 
illegal attempt to subjugate Belarus. Belarus shouldn't become 
a consolation prize to Russia. Free Belarus will be the 
strongest sanction against Putin and will help Ukraine win this 
war. Therefore, supporting free Belarus is not charity. It is 
your investment into the global peace and security.
    We call on you to provide material assistance to Belarus 
citizens fighting for freedom and democracy, to independent 
media, and families of the repressed. Support those who live in 
exile and cannot return home. I call on the U.S. Congress to 
support the temporary protected status for Belarusian nationals 
in the U.S. Dozens abroad are denied renewing their passports. 
In response, we prepared to issue a new Belarusian national 
passport, and we ask the Congress to endorse this project.
    We should increase pressure on the regime. Sanctions are 
not a silver bullet, but it is a way to weaken the regime, 
release people from prisons, and stop its involvement in the 
war.
    And we must end impunity. Let's bring Lukashenko and his 
cronies to account through international courts. The regime has 
a long record of crimes, including crimes against humanity, 
torture, killings, and abduction of Ukrainian children.
    All dictatorships fall, and Lukashenko's dictatorship will 
fall, too. When you discuss economic recovery plan for Ukraine 
and Moldova, please include Belarus, as well. And, finally, I 
call on the U.S. Congress to support the U.S. edition of the 
Belarus Democracy, Sovereignty, and Human Rights Act. It will 
show U.S. leadership and commitment to the Belarus we all stand 
for.
    So dear friends, the path to freedom and democracy may be 
long and difficult. But know this path is the only right one, 
so let's work this path together. Thank you for your attention.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Tsikhanouskaya follows:]

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    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. I now recognize 
myself for 5 minutes. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, the 
U.S. has not had a special envoy for Belarus since January 
2022. This is unacceptable. Can you please describe how the 
appointment of a new special envoy would improve U.S. policy in 
dealing with Lukashenko and supporting the democratic forces?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. I remember how the first special envoy 
was designated. It should open so much doors for our democratic 
movement in the USA, Congress and State Department and the 
White House. And special envoy is a bridge between our 
democratic forces and the USA, all the branches.
    So it will help us to explain the situation in Belarus. It 
will help us to pursue the government of the USA to study 
opportunity and to work out on their strategy on new Belarus 
because now we see there is no strategy toward Belarus about 
its future, and, of course, we appreciate all the help and 
assistance and pressure on the regime and the assistance to 
Belarusian people, but we need to clearly understand what will 
be the future steps of the U.S. And that's why we need this 
person to be the best friend here in the U.S. and be best 
friends to Belarusian path, to be this, as I said, bridge.
    So of course it is very important for us, and I hope that a 
new special envoy hopefully will be designated very soon. We 
will also unite all the special envoys that have been 
designated by European countries. There is already lots of 
countries who have designated special envoys who do not work 
with the regime of Belarus but with democratic forces.
    Mr. Kean. And you're in Washington this week for a so-
called comprehensive strategic dialog with the State 
Department. What results do you hope to achieve to the 
democratic forces meeting this week with the strategic dialog?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Of course, we would like to have final 
joint communicate statement with the main political messages in 
support of democratic, sovereign, and independent Belarus; 
acknowledgment of the United Transitional Cabinet and 
Coordination Council work and welcome elections through 
Coordination Council; also post-war security architecture and 
Belarus essential role in it; and recognizing the need for the 
concerted pushback to Russia's illegal actions against Belarus; 
more recognition of Lukashenko's agreement with Russia after 
2020; work with the goal of Belarus to join in European Union 
and Trans-Atlantic community; commitment to support democratic 
movement; continued pressure on the regime, including sanctions 
and supporting accountability efforts.
    Mr. Kean. You've gone on record and stated that loopholes 
are weakening the sanctions imposed on Lukashenko and his 
regime. I would like to see more effective sanctions in place, 
so we can hold this dictatorship accountable for its crimes. 
Can you please describe the loopholes that currently exist, and 
how can the U.S., the U.K., and the EU improve our sanctions 
for maximum impact?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Well, the sanctions that exist now, 
sanctions against Lukashenko's regime, cannot be effective 
because of the loopholes that can be easily circumvented by 
Lukashenko's regime. Lukashenko uses Russia and Russia uses 
Lukashenko's regime to circumvent the sanctions. Regime of 
Belarus opens door to enterprises in Russia and continue to 
trade with the European Union, and the trade with European 
Union increased several times since the beginning of the war, 
you know, and they buy goods from Europe to Russia and sell 
bills and goods as goods from other countries. For example, 
they put a label of Kazakhstan, for example, on the bills and 
goods and sell it as Kazakhstan, but, you know, it is evident 
that, you know, it is circumventing of sanctions.
    So we need, first of all, to have joint position on closing 
the loopholes, and there should be efforts of the U.S., 
together with the European Union, Canada, and U.K. And also 
please consider individual sanctions. You already mentioned 
that judges, prosecutors, all those people who committed crimes 
against Belarusian people have to be put on sanction list.
    Mr. Kean. OK. Thank you. I now recognize Ranking Member 
Keating for any questions he may have.
    Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, again, thank you 
for being here and for everything you're doing. I just like to 
make sure there is a strong bipartisan support here for the 
appointment of a special envoy. We saw the work for former 
Ambassador Julie Fisher, who is terrific. We all really admired 
her work while she was Ambassador. We admire the work of Peter 
Kaufman, that it continues going forward. But I think having 
this role filled would give more strength internationally to 
that position, so it is something we strongly endorse.
    I've known you now for a few years, and I just admire your 
courage beyond words, the sacrifices to your family, everything 
you've done. You said in your opening statement that you do not 
know whether your husband is even alive and you have not had 
contact for that period of time. At a time when democracy is 
being threatened not just in Belarus but around the world, 
including in the United States, it is a critical time that we 
look to leaders like yourself, largely the huge support you had 
from so many women in the country can be echoed around the 
world. But can you share with us, given all that sacrifice, why 
democracy to you is so important, not just in Belarus but all 
over the world?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, Representative Keating, I 
think you start to value democracy when you are deprived of it. 
And people who live in democracy, enjoy it every day, forget, 
you know, how democracy is valuable and that we are fighting 
for actually the rights and values that you have in your 
everyday life.
    For me, democracy is about responsibility, responsibility 
of every person to participate in the life of your country, not 
just to live with your personal cozy life but to feel 
responsibility for bigger issues. And now, of course, you know, 
for me, responsibility of democracy is about the right of 
people to express their opinions. So as we are lack of it, 
hundreds of people are in prisons at the moment.
    You know, a couple of days ago, in Belarus, about 200 
searches happened, you know, that we have Coordination Council 
as part of parliament. We are building democratic institutions 
in exile at the moment, but we want to show and to study how 
democracy works. And people who are members of Coordination 
Council, they are sacrificing freedom of their relatives. You 
know, their relatives in Belarus have been detailed. Their 
flats, apartments, were ruined just because of these people are 
a part of the democratic institution we are trying to build, 
and people are ready to do this because we know how it is 
important to study democracy and to build democracy in Belarus. 
Many people are sacrificing in Belarus and in exile.
    So it is a big price, you know, we are paying at the 
moment. So, again, we cannot do it alone. You know, I really 
cherish democracy of the USA and that you feel this moral 
obligation to help those who want to gain the same rights that 
you have.
    Mr. Keating. Thank you. You know, coming from you in 
particular, given what you've gone through and continue to go 
through, democracy is just not a privilege to be taken for 
granted but a responsibility and a shared one.
    And very briefly along those lines, there is some debate 
here in the U.S. now about funding Ukraine. How important is 
that to Belarus but also to democracy in general?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, I urge all the countries and, 
of course, powerful and significant USA to help Ukraine with 
all the possible means because Ukrainians now are fighting not 
only for their lands but they are fighting against 
dictatorship. We must remember that dictatorship is like 
cancer. Until it is cast to the last cell, it will spread 
further and further. So democratic countries have to help those 
who are on the front line of this fight. I am absolutely sure 
that Ukraine will win this war, but, if they lose, it will be 
disaster not only for our region, not only for Ukraine, 
Belarus, Moldova, so on and so forth, but also for all 
democratic countries.
    Democracy has to show its teeth because dictators are 
learning very fast from each other. You know, they use the same 
tools, and we have to show that democracy also has tools to 
counter dictatorship because dictators are crossing red line 
after red line. And if they see that democracy cannot answer, 
you know, they go further and further. They become bolder.
    I understand that Ukraine influenced a lot the situation in 
Belarus, too, because we are, both countries, are facing the 
same enemy: imperialistic ambitions of Russia. And without a 
free Ukraine, there will be no free Belarus, but also vice 
versa. We have to remember that without free independent 
Belarus, there will be constant threat to security of the whole 
region.
    So help Ukraine to win this war. I really believe that 
assistance, any possible assistance to Ukraine will not stop.
    Mr. Keating. Thank you for your cautionary words about the 
spread of this when it is not extinguished in the first place, 
particularly as we look to China, Iran, North Korea, and other 
areas.
    So I yield back. And thank you.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Thank you.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Mr. Keating. I now recognize 
Congressman Huizenga from Michigan for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Huizenga. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And before I get 
into my questions and statements, I do think it is important 
that the record reflect and clarify what Chairman Smith was 
saying about him being declared as public enemy No. 1. That is 
not unique. There is many despots and dictators around the 
world who have declared you public enemy No. 1. Why? Because of 
your work on making sure these types of voices are heard. And I 
want to say thank you to the chairman for this and for this 
hearing and for bringing light to this.
    Interestingly enough, I have a son who is studying in Spain 
right now, and he's on a break, and they're in Prague right 
now. I happened to be in Prague in January 1989. I was caught 
up in pro-democracy, what turned into a riot, and was chased by 
riot police and nearly clubbed and had dogs and water cannons 
chase me and my college friends as we were there. And my son 
now, who is there, was visiting the Museum of Communism earlier 
today, and we've been texting. I wish I could share some of the 
texts in our conversation, but it struck me, as my trip, we 
went to Moscow and Leningrad, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Prague, 
East Berlin at the time, Prague and Budapest. And my son and 
this generation does not know what had happened in the cold 
war. And they also do not know necessarily the connectivity 
between what we are seeing now today with these people who are 
desperate to hold on to power and will do anything, anything to 
stamp out the voices of freedom and liberty.
    So I want to say thank you for what you are doing and for 
those folks that are remaining behind fighting back against 
this. I was able to leave Prague. I was able to come back home 
to the United States. Many cannot. They cannot flee that. And 
those are lessons that we cannot forget.
    So, again, I just want to commend you for what you are 
doing in leading that and being a voice for freedom and liberty 
for the people of Belarus.
    One of those things that we have seen as sort of a marker 
of despotism and dictators is crackdowns on various groups, 
oftentimes on religious groups. And we are seeing this in 
Belarus right now; is that not true? We are seeing the churches 
being cracked down on. I would love for you to comment a little 
bit on that. There is reports that Belarus is detained, fined, 
imprisoned, and pushed out of their positions or forced into 
exile, at least 60 religious leaders of the Belarusian 
Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, and various 
Protestant churches since the 2020 crackdown. Would you 
describe what's happening as also part of a crackdown on 
religious freedom in Belarus?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, in 2020, people of different 
layers of population or different professions were on the 
streets opposing further elections in Belarus. And among those, 
of course, there were a lot of people of religion, of different 
confessions. And, of course, regime started to put revenge on 
religion, religious institutions in our country.
    The problem is that all the Orthodox churches in Belarus 
belonged to the State, and they can easily close churches, and 
it is the way to blackmail religious people. Many priests are 
in jails, in Belarusian jails, at the moment and are recognized 
as political prisoners. Many of them had to flee Belarus 
because of repressions, and now they serve in Lithuanian and 
Polish churches. They continue to do this.
    But, of course, Belarusian churches are also under 
repressions. They are made to keep silence. They are forbidden 
to pray for those who are in prisons, for families of political 
prisoners. They are forbidden to pray for future free Belarus 
without wars. So they're also under pressure. But I am 
absolutely sure, when the means of opportunity comes to Belarus 
again, all those people will be in this pro-democratic 
movement.
    Mr. Huizenga. And if you come, let's say when you come into 
power and Lukashenko is no longer there, would you support 
religious freedom and the ability for these people to gather 
and worship as they see fit?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Absolutely. I fully welcome religious 
freedom in Belarus and all the confessions should be presented 
in our country without any pressure. You know, among Belarusian 
society, there was absolute tolerance to people of all 
religions, and there will be full consensus among Belarusian 
people that people for religions have to be presented in our 
country.
    Mr. Huizenga. My time is expiring. I wish I had gone 
shorter on my story of my experiences that pale to anything 
that you have been going through. I wanted to explore a little 
more of how sort of hybrid or irregular uses of things like 
downing or grounding of an international airline or to get to 
an opposition journalist or how migrants and refugees are being 
used really as weapons against surrounding countries, and I'll 
leave it up to the chairman if he is able to give you some time 
to comment on that.
    But I just want to say, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya--sorry. With a 
name like Huizenga, it is also difficult. I just want to again 
say thank you for your efforts, your bravery, your courage, and 
your voice that is here.
    With that, Mr. Chairman, I'll leave it to you.
    Mr. Kean. That inquiry, please.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Yes, thank you, thank you. Now we are 
talking about crimes of Lukashenko's regime. You know, he 
committed crimes against Belarusian people. First of all, we 
have to consider this. People have been tortured, people have 
been humiliated constantly in the prisons. People in Belarus 
are kept in this atmosphere of tyranny on a daily basis.
    But also regime started to put revenge on our neighboring 
countries, and this migration crisis that was orchestrated by 
the regime, it is revenge on Poland and Latvia for constant 
support of Belarus and democratic forces. And it will not stop, 
you know, until we stop dictator. All these efforts to 
blackmail, to put pressure on our neighbors, will continue. So 
we have to not to treat symptoms of this disease that is 
dictatorship but to treat the main problem.
    Let's return to hijacking of the airplane. You know, this 
was act of terrorism from the side of the regime, and this case 
was investigated but still no punishment came for this crime. 
And I think we should use all the possible international 
justice mechanism, like ICC, ICJ, universal jurisdiction, to 
bring Lukashenko and all those responsible to account. This 
will help us to endorse this special investigation, appeal to 
Karim Kahn for him to pay attention to the issue of Belarusian 
regime crimes.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Huizenga, for 
bringing those important issues up. The chair now recognizes 
Mr. Amo from Rhode Island for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Amo. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I really 
appreciate your welcome and warm welcome to this committee, and 
to the Ranking Member, as well. And I am pleased to join my 
first hearing hosted by the Subcommittee on Europe, and I 
really just want to thank our witness for your remarkable 
strength, your perseverance under what I cannot imagine to be 
the most intense of pressure, both in your own family unit but 
also the family of Belarus collectively that requires real 
change. And I am so honored to be before you, as you lead.
    It is important that I am here today in this first hearing 
because it is a topic that means so much to me: democracy, 
democracy and the preservation of it. And so it is clear that 
there is bipartisan support domestically for our commitment to 
democracy, and I appreciate those in Belarus who are 
demonstrating their strong desire and commitment to a 
democratic future.
    I especially want to recognize that women have played a 
leading role in Belarusian, the democratic movement that has 
grown. And I am so glad to be adding my voice in my early weeks 
here in Congress. And I'm proud that the last Congress passed 
several measures to affirm the support for the aspirations of 
the people of Belarus, for democracy, for human rights, for the 
rule of law. The fulfillment of these aspirations is critical 
to ensuring the continued strength of Belarusian sovereignty 
and territorial integrity. I hope to build on that support in 
this Congress.
    And I'm also encouraged by those across the Biden 
Administration who are supporting the democratic movement and 
holding account its anti-democratic leaders. The strategic 
dialog provides a great opportunity, and that is one of the 
things that I wanted to ask about today. I wanted to get a 
sense from you about the role of the Belarusian private sector 
in the dialog and what role do you think they have in 
accelerating our pathway to change and making sure that the 
democratic opposition is able to ultimately lead?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Thank you for your question. I have to 
say, first of all, that since 2020 many Belarusian small 
businesses and entrepreneurs are also under repressions and had 
to flee Belarus. And now many businessmen are trying to open 
their businesses just to work for democratic forces, you know, 
to help democratic institutions and families of the repressed 
and to contribute to cultural projects of Belarus.
    And, of course, we want to work with the U.S. to help 
private businesses in Belarus to grow. And it includes getting 
advice from the U.S. experts and making plans based on what 
works well in the U.S. Belarusians want to see the future after 
Lukashenko. We want Belarusian people, Belarusian business, to 
blossom, at the moment maybe in exile, because it is difficult 
to stay loyal to democratic aspirations and work in 
Lukashenko's Belarus now. But we want to develop private sector 
in exile at the moment, and we ask you to help those people, to 
provide them with new connections with the businesses who maybe 
would like in future after Belarus becomes democratic to invest 
into our country.
    We have wonderful hardworking people, we have wonderful 
geographic position, but we have poor management in our 
country. It will give our people opportunity to work freely and 
to make the businesses freely. They could contribute so much in 
our economy, but we have to start to work now for future of 
Belarus. So we ask for your assistance in this direction, as 
well.
    Mr. Amo. Well, I appreciate that. That dignity of 
participating in the private sector and driving that innovation 
and growth is something that I hope is a value that we can help 
blossom. And with that, I yield back my time.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Thank you.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Congressman Amo. I now recognize the 
Vice Chair of this committee, Congressman Self from Texas.
    Mr. Self. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You say in your 
testimony that the Belarusian people do not want to be a 
Russian surrogate or Russified. I am trying to gauge, because 
the United States does not have very good record over the last 
20 years working in different cultures, understanding different 
cultures. So I am trying to gauge the support across the nine-
plus million people of Belarus, so what are the activities that 
you see inside your country? Are there underground resistance 
movements? Are there any active resistance movements? Talk to 
me about the nine million people, not just the few in the 
democracy movement. What is the mood of your people?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. I am absolutely sure that most of the 
Belarusian people are dreaming about democratic and free 
country, but people who are under repressions, you know, who 
are under threat of being persecuted, you know, every day 
cannot be vocal. Just imagine, for speaking against regime, you 
can get 15--20 years in jail. For supporting Ukraine, you can 
get 10--15 years in jail. For donating 20 euros to Ukrainian 
army, you get 6 years in jail. This is our reality.
    And, of course, we want to save people because there will 
be a new opportunity for us, and we want people to be safe and 
secure for this moment. Of course, people are not just sitting 
and waiting when this opportunity comes. People are working, 
and working underground of course. People have to hide, you 
know, their aspirations----
    Mr. Self. Thank you for that. Believe you me, we understand 
that the real target of the January 6th is the American people 
so that you do not go to the street corner and make your views 
known.
    I want to talk about enforcing the sanctions. How do you 
recommend the U.S. admin enforce the sanctions better? Because 
we are looking, in Congress, we are looking for ways, because 
this Administration has allowed Iran, for instance, to sell at 
least $60 billion in oil, so how do we change the behavior of 
this Administration to help you enforce the sanctions on 
Russia?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. So there are still fields of Belarusian 
economy that can be under sanctions. It is woods, it is steel, 
that are not under sanctions at the moment. And as I have said 
before, you know, we have to close loopholes because trade with 
our neighbors with the other foreign countries is still 
continuing despite of sanctions.
    We have to understand that sanctions on Russia are mostly 
imposed on import, on Belarus on export. And Russian regime and 
Belarusian regime are using each other to circumvent the 
sanctions. Lukashenko's regime is selling Russian goods as if 
they are Belarusian because they are not under sanctions and--
--
    Mr. Self. So what would we do about that? I'm trying to 
understand how we change behavior because that is our own 
problem in the U.S. How do we change behavior?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. It is not about behavior. It is about 
instruments that allow to detain all those businesses, 
enterprises, that helps regimes to avoid to circumvent 
sanctions. You have to launch special mechanism of sanction 
circumvention that will follow fulfillment of the sanctions. I 
know that in the USA you have secondary sanctions. Can you urge 
the European Union, for example, to create the same mechanism.
    Mr. Self. We are trying to do that in relationship to Iran, 
as well. So you are in Washington for the strategic dialog with 
the State Department, so what do you expect to come out of that 
strategic dialog?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. So I have already listed, you know, 
what we are waiting for from this, but we need U.S. strategy 
for Belarus. We need to understand how the U.S. is perceiving 
the situation in our country, that you not allow, you help us 
not allow Belarus to be left as consolation prize----
    Mr. Self. That is a great point. Let me interrupt you, I'm 
almost out of time, to say we cannot get a strategy for Ukraine 
out of the Administration. I hope you have success with the 
Administration. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Vice Chair Self. I now yield 5 minutes 
to Chairman Smith from New Jersey.
    Mr. Smith. Thank you so much. And, again, thank you for the 
courtesy of allowing me to sit on your committee.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, one of my concerns is that the Putin--
Lukashenko horrific war in Ukraine has diminished, however 
unwittingly, the focus in the U.S. and the West on human rights 
in Ukraine, in Belarus, being committed against people like 
your husband. We know there are a lot of political prisoners 
who are arrested, then let out, so there is this reign of 
terror. A lot of the long-stayers, like your husband, 19 years, 
continue, unfortunately, to be incarcerated.
    My hope is, with the Belarus Democracy Act of 2023, that we 
will begin a pivot toward remembering. Because, unfortunately, 
as you know, war does crowd out other concerns, though it 
shouldn't--so we can get back to, as you mentioned the 
strategy, which I think is so extremely important. So the 
sooner we get that legislation passed and into law the better. 
And I can assure you we will work overtime to make sure that 
that happens.
    And I thank the chairman for co-sponsoring and, again, for 
holding this important pivot hearing with you, which is so 
extremely important. And the Ranking Member, of course.
    You know, twice this year, Lukashenko has met with Xi 
Jinping. He met with Xi Jinping again on Monday. They are 
talking Belt and Road, which would be an opportunity to get a 
great deal of funding from the communist dictatorship of Xi 
Jinping, and I am very concerned and I am interested in hearing 
what you have to say on this. You know, Xi Jinping has 
perfected a lot of human modalities, including torture, which 
obviously Lukashenko knows a great deal about. But he also has 
excelled in coopting and destroying the churches and the 
Uyghurs and, you know, he is committing genocide, as we all 
know, in Xinjiang.
    But he has also developed a surveillance capability that is 
second to none, often with the aid and support of American 
corporations, like Fisher and others, which is outrageous. I am 
wondering if you are concerned or perhaps are looking at and 
maybe part of the strategy you share or get out of the U.S. 
Department of State is how Xi Jinping might be looking to 
convey that surveillance, which is ubiquitous throughout China, 
through Belarus, making it even harder for dissidents, 
democracy activists, and church people to speak out because 
everywhere you look there is surveillance in China, and it has 
become, like I said, it is everywhere. So if you could speak to 
that.
    Also, the churches. What can we do to raise the issue of 
the churches and the people of faith, the pastors, the 
clergymen, that are being incarcerated? Are there religionists 
speaking out? Has the Pope said enough, for example, on the 
Catholic side? Has other Orthodox said enough? It seems, again, 
we get so distracted by what is happening in the Middle East 
and we got to deal with that, of course. China, Taiwan, of 
course Ukraine. I just had a hearing on the ongoing brutality 
in Nicaragua under Ortega where he is holding priests, bishops, 
and many other people, including a bishop who got very long 26-
year prison sentence for what? Preaching the gospel.
    So if you could on this idea of China's getting involved, 
also the pivot which you are helping all of us to make sure 
that we do our part in a pivot back to Belarus democracy.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Thank you, Representative Smith, for 
your questions. First of all, I will respond on what can you do 
on the religious aspect. You know, we have tried a lot to 
attract attention of the Pope, you know, to the problem of 
political prisoners, and we want Catholic churches to play part 
in release of our political prisoners. As I said, we have about 
100 people who are in extremely poor physical State. People are 
dying there, people with cancer, diabetes, and we need 
humanitarian possibility to release at least these people 
without any conditions. And church, of course, can play here a 
huge role.
    So if you can appeal to Rome, with them to start this 
conversation about release of political prisoners without any 
conditions, we would really, really appreciate it.
    And as for Lukashenko's visits to China, of course 
Lukashenko needs support. His now only ally Putin, and he is 
trying to attract attention of China, as well. But China, you 
know, they are very pragmatic. They are looking for responsible 
partners and, knowing that in Belarus there are times of 
turbulence, they do not want to invest in our country. And 
Lukashenko is visiting China, I suppose, requesting for money. 
But until there will be no more situation in Belarus, China 
would not invest in Belarus, but Lukashenko needs resources, 
you know, and that is why we have to push more to isolate 
Lukashenko more economically to change his behavior and to 
start release political prisoners and start negotiations with 
democratic forces.
    Mr. Smith. Just real quick, we will do the letter, and we 
will do it immediately to the Pope. So thank you.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Chairman Smith. I now yield 5 minutes 
to Representative Titus from Nevada.
    Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you so much 
for being here. Welcome back. It is nice to see you again, and 
I join the others in just commending your courage and your 
determination, especially against such great odds and not 
having seen your husband in such a long time. You are truly a 
heroic leader of this movement in Belarus, so thank you for 
doing that.
    Could you tell us a little bit more about the cabinet in 
exile and how your government is structured and what you are 
doing exactly there to keep the movement alive and maybe what 
we can do, in addition to sanctions, to help you strengthen 
that movement?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, I am really proud of 
Belarusian people who, during this 3 years, are still managing 
to keep energy alive, you know, to continue our fight. We 
really feel responsibility for all those who are in prisons, 
and we feel responsibility for the future of our country.
    And, of course, we realize how institutions are important, 
and we, since the beginning, started to build democratic 
institutions. Yes, they are in exile at the moment because it 
is impossible to do something visible inside Belarus. So since 
2020, we have built a United Transitional Cabinet as proto-
government where representatives from different directions are 
working and also Coordination Council as proto-parliament.
    I want to underline that the families of participants of 
Coordination Council are under repressions inside Belarus, but 
people continue to be in Coordination Council because they 
understand how it is important.
    Hopefully, next year there will be new elections in 
Coordination Council because we want our institutions to work 
in the most democratic way. We are actually starting how to 
live in a democracy, and I hope that it will be good 
alternative to so-called Lukashenko's elections, local 
elections in Belarus.
    You know, maybe I want to underline once again how material 
assistance is important for democratic movement; to launch 
cultural initiatives to strengthen and keep our cultural 
identity, our language; to media, media is crucial countering 
Russian and Belarusian propaganda. Let's keep in mind that 
Russia puts billions in euros or dollars to Belarus to support 
propagandistic additions and channels in Belarus. And we, like 
the media in exile, have to counter this huge propagandistic 
machine. We have to be creative, we have to be inventive, but 
maybe we lack enough resources to doing creative things.
    Of course, there is urgency to support families of 
political prisoners and political prisoners who already served 
their time and they also had to flee Belarus because 
repressions, even after that you served your time, has 
continued. And people are released in awful physical and 
emotional state, and these people need rehabilitation. And we 
need to support organizing of this rehabilitation program for 
people to feel that they are not abandoned, you know. They 
sacrificed their freedom, their health, but they will have 
opportunity to rehabilitate themselves, you know, after----
    Ms. Titus. How do you get information back into the country 
to keep the movement alive?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. God bless internet because now it is 
much more possibilities to communicate with people inside 
Belarus through different internet tools. So, for example, I, 
myself, every week have hours of conversation with Belarusians 
who, from inside, can call me and we can discuss anything. All 
the media, like, local journalists will provide them 
information. All the organizations, NGO's, that have been 
ruined inside the country but managed to recover their activity 
in exile have people inside the country.
    Ms. Titus. I know that IRI and NDI were pushed out of 
Belarus and had to kind of move their headquarters somewhere 
else and just kind of do forays into the country, and this has 
been several years ago. And this has been several years ago. I 
suspect that has gotten even harder.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Of course it is harder, but, you know, 
people in Belarus are also not giving up. You know, people 
create small communities. People are really afraid to do this, 
but they are doing because they know it is necessary. People 
still continue to communicate inside the country.
    Why repressions are continuing because regime knows, if 
they stop repressions, there will be again thousands, millions 
of people on the streets. So they want to control people 
through this constant fear. And small acts of sabotage still 
going on in Belarus, acts of disobedience. Our partisan 
movement is still there. They stopped Russian equipment going 
to Ukraine at the beginning of the war. In the middle, there 
were acts of sabotage. And I am sure that when our country, our 
land, will be used for attacking Ukraine again. Our partisans 
will be there immediately.
    So society is boiling, you know. But there is no 
possibility to be vocal, but we have to save our people alive 
and free just for them to be active when the moment comes.
    Ms. Titus. Thank you. I yield back.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you. I now am going to recognize the 
Ranking Member, Mr. Keating, for a second round of questions 
for up to 5 minutes.
    Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You mentioned that, 
you know, journalists, news people, independent news people, 
people like Ihar Losik, are imprisoned or silenced one way or 
the other, and there is reasons dictators do that: because they 
do not want the free flow of information about what is really 
going on that affects people's lives there to be known to 
people.
    I wonder to the extent that the people of Belarus 
understand how they have been used, how they are in jeopardy, 
as a stage of nuclear weapons for the Russians, how dangerous 
that is to them, for the military training that is going on, 
how dangerous that could be for them, given the Ukraine war 
that is there. I wonder if they understand in Belarus just how 
it is being used. Just a couple of weeks ago, the report from 
Conflict Observatory showed with their studies that, they 
detailed the 2,400 children that were being kidnapped from 
Ukrainian families and that there is 13 facilities in Belarus 
that are housing them now.
    Do the people there understand the torture that is going on 
in Ukraine by the Russians, how much they understand the sexual 
assaults and the rapes? Do they know about Bucha and the mass 
graves that are there? Do they know about this child kidnapping 
that has occurred and how this is there? How well is the news 
getting into there so the populous in Belarus can fully 
understand just the jeopardy they are being placed into 
themselves, as well as the way their freedoms are being taken 
away from them?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, I see the Belarusian people 
are looking for honest news. They are not just blindly believe 
in the propaganda TV, you know. They do not want to be 
brainwashed, so that is why people are watching alternative 
news from Belarusian free media. Of course, it is also 
dangerous. I have to remind you that all of the alternative 
media in Belarus have been recognized as extremis, and, if a 
person inside country following alternative news or subscribed 
on alternative media, they can be detained for years for this 
act.
    But we know that interests in honest news is increasing, 
and, of course, people are watching also Ukrainian news. Of 
course, people know everything. They cannot be vocal about 
these atrocities. They cannot say anything against the war in 
Ukraine because immediately they will be detained. It is like 
Stalin's time era now in our country.
    But why I said about support to media because it is so 
crucial to tell the truth about the relative, about deployment 
of nuclear weapon, how Russia wants to subjugate our country, 
how Russia wants to end presence for years ahead with 
deployment of nuclear weapon, how Lukashenko is participating 
in the war and abduction of Ukrainian children. It is our task 
to deliver all of these messages inside the country.
    Of course, now internet is our main way of delivering these 
messages. YouTube, different social networks like Instagram. 
Even TikTok, I know that you do not like it, but, nevertheless, 
we want to appeal to every person inside the country. Somebody 
even can be for Lukashenko, for Russia, against the war. 
Nevertheless, we want them to know the truth or to watch 
alternative news and see what is reality.
    And what is disturbing me is that people, ordinary people 
do not know what is going on in Belarus in the moment. So that 
is why we urge Radio Free Europe here in the USA to open 
Belarusian service. Voice of America, yes. Voice of America to 
open Belarusian service where they will broadcast in Belarusian 
language but also in English about the use of Belarus. Maybe 
some people in America know where Belarus is situated, that we 
have border with Ukraine, that we have dictatorship in our 
country, that we're like North Korea at the moment, just to 
learn more about our country.
    And, of course, again, support our media. It is urgent to 
counter propaganda that Russia contributes billions of euros to 
promote their messages and to brainwash people.
    Mr. Keating. OK. Those are strong words when you say it is 
like Stalin's time in your country. I yield back. Thank you.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Mr. Keating. I now yield myself for up 
to 5 minutes for a second round of questions. How can the 
international community hold Lukashenko and his regime 
accountable for their crimes in Ukraine? Should the ICC extend 
the warrant it issued for the U.S. of Vladimir Putin and Maria 
Lvova-Belova for similar crimes to Lukashenko?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, since the beginning of our 
revolution, we are trying to bring Lukashenko's regime to 
accountability for his crimes. We try to do this because 
thousands of people went through tortures in prison, so it is 
crimes against humanity. No success at the moment.
    Hijacking of airplane. It is a threat to international 
security. An investigation was done but we do not know what was 
the result and no punishment for this. Migration crisis, then 
participation in the war. Now abduction of Ukrainian children, 
and this abduction of Ukrainian children is our chance to bring 
Lukashenko to accountability because for the same crime Putin 
and Lvova-Belova was put to accountability and was given arrest 
warrant.
    While Lukashenko is not in the same role with them, we have 
tons of proofs of these crimes, tons of evidences that have 
been delivered to Karim Khan already. But still no special 
investigation was initiated. The question why? So if you can 
somehow help us to open this door and to encourage Karim Khan 
and ICC to start this investigation, we would be really 
grateful because people have to feel that dictators shouldn't 
feel, will not feel impunity for their crimes.
    Mr. Kean. That is why I brought that question up, and thank 
you for answering it in that way. In 1999, the Belarusian and 
Russian government signed an agreement creating a so-called 
union State of Russia and Belarus. Can you please describe how 
this entity actually subordinates Belarusian sovereignty to 
Russian control?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, hardly any person in Belarus 
answer what this unity, you know, unity means in reality 
because what they are doing, you know, Lukashenko is putting 
under the cover of this unity nobody knows. It is like a secret 
what is going on.
    But, of course, Russia can use this signed document as, 
like, prison, you know, to continue to subjugate Belarus. We 
see the process of subjugation in our country. We see how 
Russia is trying to control our education, media, economy, 
maybe under the cover of this union State, you know. And 
Lukashenko, when he gave our land as launching pad for missiles 
in the attack in Ukraine, he also said that, look, we are with 
Russia in this union, we have to help this country.
    But there is no profit for Belarus, as well. It is just a 
way to deprive our country of independence and serenity and, of 
course, this agreement, this union should be dismantled as soon 
as Belarus becomes free and independent.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you. I now yield up to 5 minutes for a 
second round of questions to Representative Titus.
    Ms. Titus. Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. You know, when 
you first took up this cause after your husband had been 
imprisoned, Lukashenko said you are just a housewife and you 
could not possibly be president. Well, obviously, you have 
shown that is not the case. But I would ask you about the role 
in women in this opposition movement because we find that women 
are not only usually the agents of change but they also bear 
the heaviest burden with their families, with their husbands 
going to war; they are left with few resources. Could you talk 
about that a little bit both in your movement and in Belarus?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. You know, our revolution is often 
called a revolution with women's face, and I now realize that 
maybe women are more effective at long distance. Now we see 
that our fight is not a sprint, it is a marathon, and women are 
really more effective and stable, I would say, in our fight, 
maybe because we feel more responsibility for the future of our 
country because it is the future of our children, as well. We 
are preparing this country for a better life of our children 
and the Ukraine children.
    And, of course, in future Belarus, there will be no even 
discussion about gender inequality because our women proved 
that they can be leaders. Women are the leaders of the most 
initiatives, political, cultural, media initiatives, in our 
country, so we have proved that we are much stronger than we 
might seem sometimes. And let's see how many brave women behind 
the bars at the moment. Let's recall how Maria Kalesnikava her 
passport to stay in the country, Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk who 
is opposing this regime even behind the bars and she is paying 
a high price for this.
    So, yes, you know, our women are strong. Our women are 
powerful, but, of course, you know, the unit of our movement of 
democratic forces consists of not only women but also of men, 
and our task is to unite around our common goals, not around 
personalities about persons but about our goals.
    Ms. Titus. Thank you. Just changing the subject a little 
bit about the Ryanair flight that was grounded to arrest a 
person that Lukashenko was opposed to. Can you talk a little 
bit about his use of transnational repression and if that is 
being effective or you anticipate it increasing or other 
authoritarian regimes are kind of copying that pattern of 
behavior?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. As I said before, dictators easily 
learn from each other, you know, learning the tools, how to 
suppress people, how to blackmail neighbors, how to keep 
democratic countries in stress, how to disperse attention for 
example. Ukraine was in focus, now Israel is under attack, and 
it is a task of dictators to, as I said, to disperse intention, 
not to be concentrated on one issue, and to exhaust democratic 
countries, not to support everybody systematically. And that is 
why, as I said also before, we do not have to treat symptoms of 
the disease which name is tyranny, but to treat the problem 
itself.
    You know, if in Belarus we can support democratic forces 
years and years, we can impose new sanctions, but there is 
loopholes. If this support is not enough to win dictator, so it 
might be endless fight. But we really want to return home, we 
want to defeat this regime and build normal, reliable 
democratic country.
    And as I said in my speech, your support to us is not 
charity. It is your investment into future security of the 
whole world. So help us to help the world be safe.
    Ms. Titus. That is true. We need a friend in that difficult 
neighborhood. So by your strengthening your democratic 
movement, that strengthens our position internationally, too.
    Well, thank you very much. I yield back.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you. I now recognize the Vice Chair of this 
committee, Mr. Self, for up to 5 minutes.
    Mr. Self. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to followup on 
the nuclear weapons. We have seen the statements by Putin and 
so forth, and I'm not sure anyone has actually confirmed the 
presence of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Have you seen 
any evidence that confirms their presence?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Actually not. No information from open 
propagandistic resources. They say that nuclear weapon is 
already in Belarus, but this uncertainty, you know, creates 
more questions. These uncertainty regimes keep neighbors and 
the world in stress. Is there weapon there? You know, we do not 
know.
    But what we know for sure is that with the deployment of 
nuclear weapon, the aim of this deployment is to keep 
Belarusian people under control to enter the presence of Russia 
in our country for many, many years ahead and also to blackmail 
neighboring countries. So we do not know for sure. My answer is 
no.
    Mr. Self. I read one article that said that they were 
actually building a new base for it. Are you familiar with that 
base, and has that base been completed, even if we do not know 
the weapons have moved? And I'm not sure where it is. I cannot 
tell you.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. No. Actually, we do not know. We have 
heard about this basement. You know, in Belarus, we have so-
called people's intelligence. It is ordinary people who give us 
information if they see something, you know, is going on. But 
we have not got any information about this basement or 
deployment of nuclear weapon. You know, I really cannot confirm 
this.
    Mr. Self. OK. Thank you. I think that is instructive to me 
that it may be all talk and no action. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
I yield back.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you, Mr. Self. I now yield up to 5 minutes 
to Mr. Wilson from South Carolina.
    Mr. Wilson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I call 
you Madam President. I believe that you were rightfully 
elected, and we just so appreciate your courage, your courage, 
your husband's courage. We just hope the best for, ultimately, 
a free and democratic Belarus. I am very grateful with my 
democrat colleagues to be working with the Friends of Belarus 
Caucus. Indeed, we look forward to freedom and democracy in 
Belarus; and, again, the courage of yourself and your husband 
just is such an inspiration and I have been happy to actually 
be with you in Vienna, to be here with you in Washington, and 
my service. Everywhere I go, people are just so impressed by 
your personal commitment and courage. You are an inspiration, 
obviously, for the people of Belarus and then, hey, ultimately, 
an inspiration for the people of Russia itself that they, too, 
under the repression of war criminal Putin, 1 day there will be 
a free and democratic Russia. I've visited many times and have 
been so impressed but so sad to see a great country held back 
and oppressed by a dictator.
    With that in mind, I also want to congratulate you. The BBC 
has recognized, that is British Broadcasting Company, you as 
one of the top 100 women in the world. You are in the top 
Bloomberg 50. Additionally, the European Parliament, in 2020, 
you received the Sakharov prize, one of the highest awards, 
which indicates, indeed, as we saw the Soviet Union liberated 
and sadly going backward simultaneously, that is such a 
recognition. In 2022, Charlemagne Prize. And then I was 
recently grateful to be with you here in Washington to receive 
the recognition with the National Endowment for Democracy. So 
your leadership is just so inspiring for the people around the 
world, for the people of Belarus.
    With that in mind, sadly, when the war criminal Putin 
invaded Ukraine February 24, 2022, a large contention of its 
forces staged an advance on Belarusian territory to invade from 
the north. And, hey, I saw the consequence. I was at Bucha, 
Ukraine where I saw the site of where whole families had their 
hands tied behind their back and then they were shot in the 
head and buried in shallow graves. These troops had come from 
the direction of Belarus.
    With that in mind, Lukashenko has also provided basis and 
logistical support, including ammunition supplies, to the 
murdering Russian military. What other help has Lukashenko 
provided, and what can we do to deter this?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. So until now, Lukashenko's regime 
providing Russia with the missiles, Belarusian missiles, tanks, 
military equipment. Also, Belarus modernizes military equipment 
and repairing damaged equipment. Also, they provide 
intelligence information for Russia. Also, Belarus provides 
facilities to train Russian soldiers on our land, and, of 
course, the convention of sanctions we have discussed before, 
allowing Russia to buy stuff for the war and for military 
through Belarus. Also, Belarus, sometimes Russian missiles fly 
over Belarus territory. It is like providing airspace for 
attacking Ukraine. Also, at the moment, it is up to 200 Wagner 
staffs stay in our territory and up to 2,000 Belarusian 
soldiers also.
    So last attack from our country was in October 2022, but it 
does not mean that our country cannot be again used for attack 
in Ukraine. And Lukashenko will provide our territory for doing 
this.
    Mr. Wilson. Another atrocity is the kidnapping of children. 
The Nazis kidnapped children in Poland to Germanize. Now we 
have war criminal Putin kidnapping children. Are there any 
children that have been kidnapped from Ukraine currently in 
Belarus?
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. We have proof about at least 2,000 
children that have been kidnapped from occupied territories and 
brought to Belarus, and we have documents proving this. And 
that is why Lukashenko has to be given arrest warrant for this 
crime, abduction of Ukrainian children, and I ask you to help 
us in launching a special investigation on this crime of 
Lukashenko in ICC.
    Mr. Wilson. Again, thank you so much. And it has been such 
an honor to be with you in Vienna, Washington, Copenhagen, and 
then I am so grateful for the support of the Republic of 
Lithuania. Gosh, they're there 110 percent of the time, because 
they have seen oppression in the past and they want to see a 
liberated Belarus. Thank you. I yield back.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Thank you.
    Mr. Kean. Thank you. I now yield 5 minutes to Chairman 
Smith from New Jersey.
    Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Ms. 
Tsikhanouskaya, thank you for your courageous leadership, but 
it is not just that. It is selfless. In the entirety of this 
hearing today, not once did you mention that a kangaroo court 
in March convicted you of trying to influence or overthrow an 
election. It's called an election. And you were sentenced to 15 
years by Lukashenko's dictatorship. You never even mentioned 
it. You know, I mean, that speaks so much about you and your 
courage, and all of us here on this panel on both sides of the 
aisle are deeply concerned about you and your well-being.

    And we know that, increasingly, Lukashenko is going after 
the diaspora both in Europe, as well as in the United States. 
As a matter of fact, the European Council on Foreign Relations 
did a piece in January called ``A Prison of the Mind: 
Lukashenko's Pursuit of Exiled Belarusians.'' We know that 
nobody does that better than people like Xi Jinping and others, 
he especially, trying to harass and do worse to the diaspora 
here and in Europe and around the world.
    I just wondered if you would might want to speak to this. I 
mean, another reason why TPS, temporary protected status, TPS, 
is so important, but it is only a part of it. I think our FBI 
and others in Europe need to be, law enforcement, even more 
energized to ensure the protection of the Belarusian people who 
are out of the country and you especially. I mean, you're an 
icon of freedom. You know, let everyone know that in 
Lukashenko's dictatorship that we care deeply about you and are 
watching and hoping and praying that you remain completely safe 
in your very, very courageous work. So, maybe speak to the 
diaspora, your own bogus conviction by that court in March.
    And, finally, in terms of visiting political prisoners, we 
always count on the ICRC and others to go. Apparently, that has 
not been happening. And then you have the outrage where the 
global Red Cross suspended the Belarusian chapter of the ICRC 
after its chief boasted of bringing in Ukrainian children. That 
came out just a couple of days ago. That is outrageous for the 
ICRC to have facilitated and boasted about that kidnapping of 
Ukrainian children.
    Ms. Tsikhanouskaya. Yes. So since the beginning of 
detaining people in Belarus, we asked Red Cross, International 
Red Cross, to pay attention to this issue. We are absolutely 
sure that Red Cross will find opportunity to demand access to 
political prisoners for them to see how people are being 
tortured inside our country in Belarusian prisons. But no 
results of this work, we have never heard about public demand 
of access to political prisoners. And Belarusian Red Cross is 
absolutely pro-regime institution, and the leader of Belarusian 
Red Cross went to occupied territories and he was participating 
in the abduction of Ukrainian children.
    As far as I know, now ICRC stopped any relationship with 
Belarusian Red Cross and stopped financing of this organization 
because of they did not agree to fire this leader of Belarusian 
Red Cross. But still they need to, they have to continue their 
support to demand access to people. People are really dying in 
prisons, and it is their mandate to interfere inside issues 
where people are abused, people are being tortured. And if you 
can help us, you know, to ask them to do it publicly, not just 
to send letters under carpet but to show publicly that they are 
interested in helping our political prisoners. So we would be 
really grateful for this.
    Mr. Smith. Thank you. And we will followup with that. 
Again, we still do not mention the fact that this dictatorship 
has convicted you and sentenced you to 15 years. Again, you are 
so selfless, so inspiring. Thank you.
    Mr. Kean. With no further questions from the members, I 
want to thank our witness, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya, for your 
valuable testimony and the members for their questions.
    Members of subcommittee may have some additional written 
questions for you, and we ask that you respond to these 
promptly and in writing. Pursuant to committee rules, all 
members may have 5 days to submit statements, questions, 
extraneous material for the record, subject to the length 
limitations.
    Without objection, this subcommittee stands adjourned. 
Thank you.
    [Whereupon, at 11:38 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

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