Step-by-step instructions and a letter template to reach out to Secretary Michael R. Pompeo and US Department of State. Please take this seriously and try to submit it ASAP as we need to continue our push to get our voices heard.
Файл с инструкциями и примером письма на английском и русском языках.
Step 1. Please submit the letter by going to the following page:
- Fill out the form with your first and last name and email.
- Under Subject line, please use “Letter in Support of Belarus”.
- In a Message box, copy-paste the letter (see the letter below), fill in Signatory Name (your first and last name).
- Enter the displayed code to authenticate your identity.
- Click ‘Submit’.
Step 2. Optional: Once the forms have been submitted, please send an email to democracyforbelarus@gmail.com confirming your submission so we can track it. No other information is required.
Step 3. If you have technical difficulties and require assistance, please send an email to democracyforbelarus@gmail.com in English, Russian or Belarusian and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Please include your country of residence (state if in the US).
Step 5. Thank you for joining us in supporting free and fair elections and continued growth of democratic movements and institutions in Belarus! Please share this form as well as the letters with your friends and partners.
Letter for Submission
Dear Mr. Pompeo and the State Department Team,
As an American resident and a taxpayer, I am seeking the support of the United States government in light of the recent human rights crisis and significant deterioration of the political situation in Belarus. I appreciate the U.S. support to date along with the recent acknowledgement that the presidential election in Belarus was neither free nor fair. I am writing to urge the U.S. government to respond more strongly to the current events in Belarus.
As you know, peaceful protests erupted throughout Belarus following the announcement of the contested election outcome. The regime’s security forces responded with a heavy crackdown. Police and army units used unnecessary and excessive force against largely nonviolent protestors, firing rubber bullets, using tear gas, throwing stun grenades, and in some cases, using live ammunition. The police also utilized ambulance vehicles to transport officers disguised as emergency responders.
Reports suggest that more than 7,000 people, including minors, were detained over several days following the election. This indicates a trend of large-scale arrests in clear violation of international human rights standards. Even more disturbing are the reported accounts of mistreatment and torture during and after detention. Hundreds of people have been injured, multiple civilians have died during the protests and in police custody, and dozens are still missing. Many protesters are facing criminal charges with multi-year sentences.
Starting on August 24, Belarusian authorities resumed arbitrary detentions and criminal investigations of activists and peaceful protesters, including by arresting more than 200 people on August 27. Members of labor unions and strike committees who participated in the protests were also targeted.
Journalists covering the demonstrations have been attacked. Over 100 reporters and bloggers have been detained, with criminal investigations opened against some of them. The government shut down the internet access on multiple occasions, and blocked many social media platforms, NGOs and news websites. These actions are an attack on freedom of expression.
Given the blatant human rights violations described above, I urgently call on you to:
Unequivocally condemn the Belarusian government’s violent crackdown on peaceful protests and acknowledge the 2020 presidential election as illegitimate, such as by issuing a public statement.
Pressure the Belarusian authorities to:
ensure that the fundamental right of peaceful assembly is fully respected;
avoid the use of force against and refrain from criminal persecutions of peaceful protesters;
stop any interference with the right of freedom of expression; and
initiate criminal investigations against those responsible for excessive use of force.
Call for the immediate release of all political detainees.
Support Belarusians in demanding the resignation of former president Alexander Lukashenko and recognize Svetlana Tikhanovskaya as the new president-elect or call for new free and fair elections.
In case the above demands are not met, I urge you to implement the following measures:
Invoke and further enhance the Executive Order 13405, including by revoking the General License 2G issued on October 22, 2019, and by expanding the designated-persons list.
Invoke the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, including by processing on an expedited basis any referrals for imposing sanctions on persons responsible for gross violations of human rights from the appropriate parties.
In reliance on existing or new Executive Orders, institute asset freezes and entry bans on all human rights violators in Belarus, such as members of the election committees with confirmed election violations, members of the police and armed forces responsible for the violence against peaceful protesters, and members of the judiciary responsible for arbitrary rulings without due process.
Support sanctions against Russian state actors responsible for interference in the democratic processes in Belarus, as evidenced by the proliferation of Russian propaganda experts in Belarus and public offers of military assistance from the Russian government.
To prevent financing of the repressive apparatus in Belarus, cease all financial, charitable and technical assistance to the regime and impose a strict import ban on products made by state-owned enterprises. This freeze should include any additional Eurobond issuance by the Government of Belarus currently planned for 2021.
Appeal to the U.S. ambassador to Belarus to make a strong statement in support of human rights and democracy for Belarusian citizens.
Please stand with the majority of Americans in supporting free and fair elections and the continued growth of democratic movements and institutions in Belarus. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Signatory Name]
If you have technical difficulties and require assistance, please send an email to
democracyforbelarus@gmail.com in English, Russian or Belarusian and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Please include your country of residence (state if in the US).