U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs

06/11/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/11/2021 18:13

Chairman Meeks Issues Statement After Call with Ambassador Fisher

Washington, DC - Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today released the following statement on his call with Julie Fisher, United States Ambassador to Belarus:

'I spoke today with Julie Fisher, our Ambassador to Belarus, about the ongoing crisis and the increasingly bold and aggressive actions by Belarus' illegitimate president Alexander Lukashenka. I underscored the strong bipartisan commitment within Congress for holding the Lukashenka regime accountable for its ongoing human rights violations, the horrific treatment and torture of political prisoners, and the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters who only wish to exercise their fundamental freedoms and live in a free, democratic society. We also discussed the forced diversion of a European commercial airliner travelling between two European Union and NATO member states to arrest and detain Belarusian journalist Raman Pratasevich. I reaffirmed my commitment to working closely with the Biden Administration and our European allies and partners to develop an appropriate and coordinated response to these developments.'

###