Whereas the Republic of Belarus is an authoritarian state currently under the rule of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who maintains tight control over military and security forces; Whereas Freedom House has rated Belarus 8 on a scale of 100, classifying the country as not free and stating that Belarus is an authoritarian state in which elections are openly rigged and civil liberties are severely restricted ; Whereas the Republic of Belarus held a Presidential election on August 9, 2020, that was found neither free nor fair by international observation groups; Whereas the August 2020 Presidential election took place without appropriate observation from local independent groups and international delegations; Whereas, since the Presidential election, Belarusians have demonstrated their strong desire and commitment to a democratic future by organizing peaceful protests in Minsk, across the country, and around the world; Whereas women play a leading role in the Belarusian democratic movement as both opposition leaders and organizers of peaceful demonstrations; Whereas Belarus’ democratic opposition, led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and Belarusian civil society have called for the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, as well as the peaceful transition of power, the organization of new, free, and fair elections, and the release of all political prisoners; Whereas Belarusian opposition leaders have faced intimidation, harassment, and detention, including direct threats leading to the forced exile of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Lithuania as well as the kidnapping and imprisonment of countless opposition leaders and activists; Whereas, since the 2020 election, Belarusian authorities have arbitrarily detained and brutally assaulted tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, journalists, and opposition figures, of which 1,516 remain in detention