On Thursday, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada announced new sanctions on Belarus. They accuse the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko of repeated violations of human rights and organizing illegal migration to the EU.
The US, Canada, UK, and EU demanded that Lukashenko should “immediately and completely halt its orchestrating of irregular migration across its borders with the EU.”
“We remain committed to supporting the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus and stand together to impose costs on the regime — and those who support it — for its efforts to silence the voices of independent civil society, media, and all Belarusians seeking to speak the truth about what is happening in their country,” the four international bodies said in a joint statement.
The sanctions list includes high-ranking political leaders of the Belarusian government, companies, including Belavia airlines, travel agencies, and hotels, which, according to the EU, have helped to encourage and organize illegal border crossings from Belarus to the EU member states.
The US Department of the Treasury extended sanctions against Belarus to 20 people and 12 entities, including the son of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The British sanctions also apply to the state-owned company Belaruskali, which has a significant share of the world’s potassium carbonate market.
Belarus described the move as absurd and promised a harsh response.
