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This bill reauthorizes and strengthens the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004, which promotes democratic reform and human rights in Belarus under President Alyaksandr Lukashenka's authoritarian rule. The legislation condemns Belarus's 2020 fraudulent election, ongoing repression of opposition figures and journalists, detention of nearly 1,400 political prisoners, and complicity in Russia's invasion of Ukraine—including allowing Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil and participating in the abduction of Ukrainian children. The bill authorizes U.S. support for Belarusian democratic opposition groups, independent media, civil society organizations, and cultural preservation efforts, with funding levels for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to match or exceed 2024 levels. It also expands sanctions authority against Belarusian officials responsible for election fraud, human rights abuses, Russian military support, and abduction of Ukrainian children, while requiring the Director of National Intelligence to report within 90 days on Belarus's military cooperation with Russia, weapons purchases, sanctions evasion, and use of migrants to destabilize NATO borders. The bill affects Belarusian officials and entities involved in democratic suppression and support for Russia's war, as well as Belarusian democratic groups and civil society that would benefit from U.S. assistance.

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