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House human rights commission hears former Belarusian prisoner describe harsh conditions, urges passage of H.R. 3225
Summary
A Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing featured testimony from former political prisoner Sergei Chihanovsky and civil-society witnesses who described solitary confinement, confiscation of identity documents, and a 'revolving door' of repression in Belarus; witnesses urged passage of the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act (H.R. 3225) and increased humanitarian support.
A U.S. congressional human rights hearing on Belarus on Monday centered on testimony from a recently released political prisoner and human-rights organizations describing continued arrests, harsh prison conditions and the use of detainees as bargaining chips by President Alexander Lukashenko’s government.
"Diplomacy saves lives," Sergei Chihanovsky, a former Belarusian political prisoner who said he spent nearly five years behind bars, told the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. Chihanovsky described extended solitary confinement, cells under six square meters with a hole in the floor for a toilet, little to no medical care and long periods incommunicado.
Chihanovsky said his case is not unique and that more than 1,000 political prisoners remain in Belarus. "Lukashenko needs President Trump far more than President Trump needs Lukashenko," he said, arguing that the United States has leverage for further prisoner releases through targeted…
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