U.S. Congressional Commission Joins Calls For Belarusian Blogger's Release

The bipartisan Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives has urged the government of Belarus to immediately release jailed blogger and RFE/RL consultant Ihar Losik and other "political prisoners."

"We are deeply troubled by the Belarusian government's decision to file new charges against Ihar, after having kept him behind bars and away from his young family for the past nine months," the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission co-chairs, Representatives James McGovern (Democrat) and Christopher Smith (Republican), wrote in a March 13 statement.

"We condemn the brutal crackdowns and sham charges leveled at the press in Belarus for reporting on the repressive actions of the government of [Alyaksandr Lukashenka]," the statement continued. "Ihar and other political prisoners must be released immediately."