1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated December 10, 2021Belarus: An OverviewSince August 2020, authorities in Belarus have engaged in a political, media, and civil society crackdown that human rights monitors have called “unprecedented” and “catastrophic.” More than 37,000 Belarusians reportedly ha
2、ve been detained or imprisoned; more than 900 are considered political prisoners. Several have been killed or have died under suspicious circumstances. In addition to persecuting opposition members and protest participants, authorities have intensified repression against independent media and civil
3、society organizations, journalists, and human rights defenders. The United States, the European Union (EU), and others have called for an end to the crackdown and for the government to hold free and fair presidential elections. The U.S. Congress has passed legislation supporting democracy in Belarus
4、. The crackdown in Belarus emerged in response to the rise of a mass opposition movement, on a scale unseen since Belarus became independent in 1991 (Belarus previously was part of the Soviet Union). The movement arose out of protests against seemingly widespread electoral fraud in the wake of an Au
