HR 5970 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to reauthorize that Act, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

May 6, 2008

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. HOLT, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 to reauthorize that Act, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2008'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO REAUTHORIZATION OF THE BELARUS DEMOCRACY ACT OF 2004.

The Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 (Public Law 109-480; 22 U.S.C. 5811 note) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in section 2--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in paragraph (1), by striking `the Republic of'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by striking paragraphs (3) through (11) and inserting the following new paragraphs:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(3) The Government of Belarus has subjected thousands of pro-democratic political activists to frequent harassment, beatings, and jailings, particularly as a result of their attempts to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of assembly and association.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(4) The Government of Belarus has attempted to maintain a monopoly over the country's information space, targeting independent media, including independent journalists, for systematic reprisals and elimination, while suppressing the right to freedom of speech and expression of those dissenting from the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenka.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(5) The Government of Belarus has mounted a systematic campaign of harassment, repression, and closure of nongovernmental organizations, including independent trade unions and associations of entrepreneurs, and this crackdown has created a climate of fear that inhibits the development of civil society and social solidarity.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(6) The Government of Belarus has increasingly subjected leaders and members of ethnic and religious minorities to harassment, including the imposition of heavy fines, denying permission to meet for religious services, prosecutions, and jail terms for activities in the practice of their faith.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(7) The Government of Belarus has attempted to silence dissent by persecuting human rights and pro-democracy activists with threats, firings, expulsions, beatings and other forms of intimidation, and restrictions on freedom of movement and prohibition of international travel.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(8) The President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenka, has established himself in power by orchestrating an illegal and unconstitutional referendum that enabled him to impose a new constitution, abolishing the duly-elected parliament, the 13th Supreme Soviet, installing a largely powerless National Assembly, extending his term in office, and removing applicable term limits.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(9) The Government of Belarus failed to make a convincing effort to solve the cases of disappeared opposition figures Yuri Zakharenka, Viktor Gonchar, and Anatoly Krasovsky and journalist Dmitry Zavadsky, even though credible allegations and evidence links top officials of the Government to these disappearance.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(10) In 2006, the Government of Belarus conducted presidential elections that failed to meet standards of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for democratic elections, and the numerous detentions and arbitrary use of state power which accompanied the elections showed the disregard of the Government of Belarus for the basic rights to freedom of assembly, association, and expression, and reinforced doubts regarding the willingness of the Government of Belarus to tolerate political competition.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(11) In 2008, the Government of Belarus released some political prisoners who had been imprisoned or served `corrective labor' sentences because of their political activity.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(12) Aleksandr Kozulin, an opposition leader whom the Social Democratic Party nominated in 2006 as its candidate for President of Belarus, remains in prison, where he continues to serve a five and a half year term for his political activity.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(13) The Department of State, Department of the Treasury, and other executive branch agencies have heretofore made effective use of this Act to promote the purposes of this Act, as stated in section 3 of this Act.';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in section 3--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in paragraph (1), by striking `call upon' and inserting `continue to call for';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in paragraphs (2) and (3)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) by inserting `continue to' before `support' each place it appears; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) by striking `the Republic of' each place it appears;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in paragraph (4), by striking `seek and' and inserting `continue to';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(D) in paragraph (5)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) by inserting `continue to' before `refuse'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) by striking `fatally' and inserting `fundamentally';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(E) in paragraph (6)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) by inserting `continue to' before `refuse'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) by striking `and' at the end;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(F) in paragraph (7)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) by inserting `continue to' before `work'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting `; and'CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(G) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(8) to remain open to reevaluating United States policy toward Belarus as warranted by demonstrable progress made by the Government of Belarus consistent with the aims of this Act as stated in this section.';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in section 4--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking `the Republic of';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in subsection (c)(1), by striking `radio and television' and inserting `radio, television, and Internet'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in subsection (d)(1), by striking `2007 and 2008' and inserting `2007 through 2010';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) in section 5--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in the section heading, by striking `radio and television' and inserting `radio, television, and internet';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in subsection (a), by striking `radio and television' and inserting `radio, television, and internet'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in subsection (b)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) by inserting `, and such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each subsequent fiscal year for Internet broadcasting,'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) by inserting before the period at the end the following: `, including broadcasting by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Voice of America, and European Radio for Belarus and Belsat';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) in section 6--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in subsection (b)--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(i) in paragraph (4), by inserting `student activists, ethnic minority and' before `religious organizations'; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(ii) in paragraph (5), by inserting before the period at the end the following: `and violations of human rights';CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) by redesignating section 9 as section 8; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) in section 8, as so redesignated--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) by striking paragraph (1);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in paragraph (3)(B)(i), by striking `and prosecutors' and inserting `, prosecutors, and heads of professional associations and educational institutions'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink