Letter in Support of Belarus to Senators or Representatives
Filing Instructions
Step 1. Please find the details for the Senators representing your state by going to the following pages:
Senators
- Go to https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Under “Choose a State”, please select your state
- Click on “Contact Senator” link under Senators representing your state
- Under “Issues your email relates to” or “Topic” select or type in “Foreign Affairs”. If there is a Subject line, please use “Please Reject the Confirmation of Mrs. Julie Fisher as the U.S. Ambassador to Belarus”
- Copy-paste the letter (see the letter below), fill in Name of the Senator, Signatory Name (your first and last name), and your city and state in the places marked in [RED]
- Click ‘Submit’
Step 2. If you are not an American citizen but a legal resident, please use the appropriate version that starts with “As an American taxpayer in [STATE]”.
Step 3. Optional (but very helpful): Once the forms have been submitted, please send an email to democracyforbelarus@gmail.com with the name of the representative or the Senator you have submitted the form to so we can track your submission. No other personal information is required.
Step 4. If you have technical difficulties and require assistance, please send an email to democracyforbelarus@gmail.com in English, Russian or Belarusian and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Please include your country of residence (state if in the US).
Step 5. Thank you for joining us in supporting free and fair elections and continued growth of democratic movements and institutions in Belarus! Please share this form as well as the letters with your friends and partners.
Letter for Submission – U.S. Residents
Dear Senator [LAST NAME],
As an American taxpayer in [STATE], I would like to bring to your attention the upcoming hearings to confirm former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Julie Fisher as the next U.S. Ambassador to Belarus. Appointing an ambassador would strengthen the American diplomatic presence and help advance U.S. national interests in Belarus and in the region. However, the timing of her arrival in Minsk and official interactions with the illegitimate and illegal regime could not be more unfortunate and could bring serious political implications for the U.S. as the Leader of the Free World.
I am asking you to reject the confirmation of an Ambassador to Belarus and consider appointing a Special Envoy instead. The Ambassador’s appointment, the secondment, and the presentation of the credentials to Aliaksandr Lukashenka will serve as the de-facto recognition of his legitimacy as the 6th term president. Secretary Pompeo has already rejected the results of the August 9, 2020, presidential election. The secondment of a U.S. Ambassador would also be in direct conflict with the position from September 23, 2020 of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee characterizing Lukashenka’s secret inauguration as an indication of a complete loss of the national leadership mandate.
Ms. Fisher is an experienced and respected American diplomat. The rejection of her appointment should not be a reflection on her professional reputation and her distinguished career. Instead, it is meant to send a clear message that the U.S. cannot normalize diplomatic relations with Belarus while Mr. Lukashenka remains in power illegally.
The return of the U.S. Ambassador to Belarus should be pre-conditioned on the new presidential election in Belarus recognized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as democratic, free, and fair.
I hope you understand the importance of these political implications and will vote against the confirmation of Ms. Fisher as the next U.S. Ambassador to Belarus.
Sincerely,
[FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]
[CITY], ST 12345
Letter for Submission – U.S. Citizens
Dear Senator [LAST NAME],
As your constituent, I would like to bring to your attention the upcoming hearings to confirm former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Julie Fisher as the next U.S. Ambassador to Belarus. Appointing an ambassador would strengthen the American diplomatic presence and help advance U.S. national interests in Belarus and in the region. However, the timing of her arrival in Minsk and official interactions with the illegitimate and illegal regime could not be more unfortunate and could bring serious political implications for the U.S. as the Leader of the Free World.
I am asking you to reject the confirmation of an Ambassador to Belarus and consider appointing a Special Envoy instead. The Ambassador’s appointment, the secondment, and the presentation of the credentials to Aliaksandr Lukashenka will serve as the de-facto recognition of his legitimacy as the 6th term president. Secretary Pompeo has already rejected the results of the August 9, 2020, presidential election. The secondment of a U.S. Ambassador would also be in direct conflict with the position from September 23, 2020 of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee characterizing Lukashenka’s secret inauguration as an indication of a complete loss of the national leadership mandate.
Ms. Fisher is an experienced and respected American diplomat. The rejection of her appointment should not be a reflection on her professional reputation and her distinguished career. Instead, it is meant to send a clear message that the U.S. cannot normalize diplomatic relations with Belarus while Mr. Lukashenka remains in power illegally.
The return of the U.S. Ambassador to Belarus should be pre-conditioned on the new presidential election in Belarus recognized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as democratic, free, and fair.
I hope you understand the importance of these political implications and will vote against the confirmation of Ms. Fisher as the next U.S. Ambassador to Belarus.
Sincerely,
[FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME]
[CITY], ST 12345
If you have technical difficulties and require assistance, please send an email to
democracyforbelarus@gmail.com in English, Russian or Belarusian and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Please include your country of residence (state if in the US).
Long and Short forms of the petition to reflect the text in the attached Word document
The letters with the instructions are in the attached Word document