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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael McCaul, Republican Leader on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congressman Eliot Engel, Chairman of the Committee, released the following statement applauding the announcement that additional Belarusian officials involved in efforts to undermine Belarusian democracy will face U.S. sanctions for the recent sham presidential election.

“We welcome the announcement of additional U.S. targeted sanctions on Belarusian authorities responsible for the electoral fraud, human rights abuses and repression related to the sham August 9, 2020 Belarusian presidential election. As with yesterday’s passage through the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2020, these sanctions, along with those imposed by the European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada, signal unmistakably that the international community condemns the violence and terror being inflicted upon the peaceful demonstrators in Belarus. The United States and our allies must continue to ratchet up pressure on the illegitimate regime of Alexander Lukashenka until the Belarusian people’s right to chart their own future through free and fair elections is fully realized.”

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