Free Russia Foundation enthusiastically welcomes today’s introduction of the Belarus and Russia Investments in Democratic Governance during Exile (BRIDGE) Act in the US Senate.
We are immensely grateful to the legislation author Senator Cardin, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and author of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The bill provides comprehensive support to Belarusian and Russian civil society members forced into exile due to their prodemocracy and antiwar activities, including:
- Requiring establishment of a diplomatic unit at the State Department to help address challenges faced by democratic forces in exile, including coordination of international efforts against government-sponsored transnational repression, advocacy for Russian and Belarusian democratic forces who are denied services by the private sector on the basis of their citizenship, and establishment of a more transparent process for democratic forces to provide evidence to the United States related to individuals whose conduct may merit U.S. sanctions;
- Authorizing $40 million in annual appropriations to support independent media and civil society in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia (through USAID and the State Department’s Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau);
- Authorizing $40 million in annual appropriations to USAGM for Ukraine initiatives, including coverage in Eurasia and the Global South, as well as facilitation of censorship circumvention tools;
- Preventing wrongful detentions through government and private sector initiatives;
- Directing the State Department to encourage the European Union and other European governments to provide political exiles with legal documentation in Europe;
- Requiring the State Department to designate additional diplomatic missions for expedited visa service to activists facing political persecution;
- Requiring development of a US government process for recognizing expired passports held by political exiles; and
- Codifying congressional oversight for the termination of sanctions by the Executive Branch.
“These measures duly recognize and meaningfully empower exiled Belarusian and Russian civil societies as critical allies in ending the war in Ukraine, reestablishing a lasting peace in Europe, and pursuing justice for the victims and perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said Natalia Arno, President of Free Russia Foundation, regarding the legislation.
Free Russia Foundation hopes for a swift passage of this legislation by the US Senate and a corresponding initiative by the US House of Representatives.