Former presidential candidate of Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovskaya appealed to the US Senate to pass a bill as soon as possible, which would give the US President additional powers to impose sanctions against official Minsk.

The article in English, which contains this appeal and the author of which is indicated Tikhanovskaya, was published in The Washington Post.

“I call on the US Congress to approve the draft law of 2020“ On Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty in Belarus ”as soon as possible.

This law will expand the range of individuals who may be sanctioned for involvement in reprisals under US law.

At the same time, it will provide support for independent media, as well as technology to overcome government censorship, ”writes Tikhanovskaya.

She also expressed her gratitude to the "European Union and the United States for the active moral and technical support," while making a special mention of the Trump administration and the State Department.

“We appreciate the efforts of the current US administration, which recently expanded sanctions against Belarusian officials responsible for undermining democratic processes in our country.

On my own behalf, I express my gratitude to Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Bigan for meeting with me and declaring his firm intention to help the democratic movement in Belarus, ”the article says.

Sanctions foundation

As a reminder, the House of Representatives of the US Congress on November 18 adopted the draft law "On Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty in Belarus 2020".

It proposes empowering the president to impose restrictions on members of the election commission of Belarus and officials whom Washington considers to be involved in pressure on the media.

Also, this bill expands the possibilities of providing assistance to Belarus and supporting political refugees.

Thus, if this document is adopted by the Senate and signed by the US President, the head of the White House will be able to impose visa restrictions on members of the CEC of Belarus, officials, and officials of the Union State, whom Washington recognizes as involved in human rights violations.

  • Protest action in Belarus

  • Reuters

Let us remind you that on August 9, presidential elections were held in Belarus, in which, according to the Central Election Commission of the republic, Alexander Lukashenko won with 80.1% of the vote.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya received 10.1% of support.

After the completion of the voting, mass protest actions began in the country, and the Belarusian opposition refused to recognize the election results, accusing the authorities of falsifying the results.

Later, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya left Belarus and is currently in Lithuania, from where she makes statements as the leader of the opposition, and also holds meetings with European politicians.

The opposition created a coordination council for the transfer of power.

The EU and the US have already introduced targeted restrictive measures against Belarusian officials and Alexander Lukashenko himself, but the matter has not yet reached the point of economic sanctions or embargo.

At the same time, Tikhanovskaya has repeatedly turned to Western politicians with proposals to toughen sanctions against Minsk, extending them to the economy.

So, in mid-November, at a meeting with the leadership of Latvia, she called on the National Bank of the Republic to stop cooperation with the state-owned Belarusbank and Belagroprombank, and the President to introduce restrictive measures against a number of Belarusian state-owned enterprises and to revise contracts for the purchase of oil and metal products, timber and wood processing industry; and alcohol.

Then Svetlana Tikhanovskaya announced that she was seeking the introduction of additional sanctions against the country's leadership, and was also discussing the possibility of disconnecting Belarus from the international banking system of SWIFT settlements.

In an effort to get such a tool as personal sanctions through the United States, Tikhanovskaya intends to become an influential figure, to increase her role in the political process, Pavel Feldman, deputy director of the RUDN Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts, said in an interview with RT.

“She is trying to harm her own state and its political elite with the hands of the American authorities, to settle scores with her opponents.

In addition, the opposition is trying to worsen the situation in the country with such initiatives in order to raise the people's anger in the conditions of socio-economic instability provoked by the US sanctions, and on this wave try to come to power once again, ”Feldman explained.

Opaque hints

It is worth noting that in a publication in The Washington Post, Tikhanovskaya mentioned Russia, which, according to her, provides official Minsk with "critically important" support.

“While our uprising is not directed against any other country, the Kremlin offers Lukashenka critically important support in the form of security assistance, significant financial aid, and propagandists spreading pro-regime propaganda on state television in Belarus,” the report says. ...

  • Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

  • AFP

  • © Emil Helms / Ritzau Scanpix

It should be reminded that on November 26, against the background of the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Minsk, the leader of the Belarusian opposition said that any official agreements concluded under the leadership of Alexander Lukashenko would be revised by the country's new authorities.

“Whatever Alexander Lukashenko may agree on, he has lost the support of the Belarusian people.

This means that all his deals and contracts will be reviewed and canceled by the new government, ”said Tikhanovskaya.

She stressed that she stands for "friendly and partnership relations with Russia", but at the same time "the independence and sovereignty of Belarus cannot be a subject of bargaining."

Pavel Feldman admits that the Belarusian events may well become the reason for the next sanctions against Moscow, if the new US president decides to show support for the opposition.

“If Biden does this and recognizes Lukashenka as a kind of usurper of state power, then it is quite possible that restrictions will be applied to Russia as a country that recognized Lukashenka and provided him with material and information support,” Feldman says.

In turn, commenting on Tikhanovskaya's appeal to American senators, Andrei Sidorov, head of the Department of International Organizations and World Political Processes at the Faculty of World Politics at Moscow State University, noted that such appeals are quite typical for liberal oppositionists from different countries.

“Tikhanovskaya is now following the path of the Russian opposition, who turn to the United States because they consider them the most consistent critics of the current Russian authorities and those who are close to Russia in the post-Soviet space, including Lukashenka and his government,” the expert explained.