{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-presides-hearing-exposing-belarusian-role-supporting", "Congressman Cohen Presides at a Hearing Exposing Belarusian Role Supporting Russia in its War with Ukraine", "2024-12-05", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "House", "TN", "Steve Cohen", "C001068", "cohen.house.gov", "cohen", "https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today presided at a hearing on \u201cThe Role of Belarus in Russia\u2019s Crimes.\u201d\n\nRanking Member Cohen focused his questions to hearing witnesses on Belarus\u2019 taking of Ukrainian children and the fate of political prisoners held by the regime.\n\nRanking Member Cohen also released the following statement:\n\n\u201cIn my position as the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly\u2019s Special Representative on political prisoners, I\u2019ve heard a lot about\u2014and frequently spoken out against\u2014Lukashenka\u2019s mass imprisonment of Belarusians and threats against Belarus\u2019 democratic leaders and activists abroad.\n\n\u201cSince the start of Putin\u2019s war in Ukraine, Belarus has effectively operated as an extension of Russia. Lukashenko bears responsibility for cooperating with Russia in its war efforts, and he cannot be allowed to fly under the radar. Especially disturbing is Belarus\u2019 role in taking vulnerable Ukrainian children and brainwashing and militarizing them.\n\n\u201cIndependent human rights organizations have reported that more than 2,400 Ukrainian children have been sent to \u2018recreation camps\u2019 in Belarus, where they are subjected to pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian indoctrination and military training. We must help prevent Belarus from escaping culpability and highlight the threats posed by Putin using the territory and resources of Belarus to help wage war on Ukrainians and threaten the rest of Europe.\n\n\u201cI also want to spotlight political prisoners in Belarus. Lukashenko has over 1,300 political prisoners including opposition leaders, journalists and activists. Ales Bialiatski, Maria Kalesnikava, and many others are experiencing heath issues that cannot be properly addressed in prison. They should be released immediately along with any other political prisoners with dire health conditions. Time is of the essence.\n\n\u201cWe can\u2019t forget Belarus\u2019 cooperation in war crimes, and I think our witnesses today will make it very clear where the responsibilities lie and how we can defend freedom from these dictators.\u201d\n\nWitnesses at today\u2019s hearing were:\n\nMatvei Kupreichyk, Public Representative, BELPOL;\n\nGabrielius Landsbergis, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Lithuania; and\n\nKateryna Rashevska, Legal Expert, Regional Center for Human Rights\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-presides-hearing-exposing-belarusian-role-supporting"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7652333006262779, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}