US Imposes Sanctions On Belarusian Regime

The United States has announced a set of tough sanctions on individuals, entities and government officials who are Operating as funding sources for Belarus’ Alyaksandr Lukashenka regime and its domestic repression and facilitating Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating eight individuals and five entities.

The targets include the Department of Financial Investigations of the State Control Committee of Belarus and four members of its board of directors; three family members of U.S.-designated Aliaksey Ivanavich Aleksin; three entities controlled by the Government of Belarus: Open Joint Stock Company Belavia Belarusian Airlines (Belavia), Open Joint Stock Company Minsk Civil Aviation Plant 407, Joint Stock Company Byelorussian Steel Works Management Company (BSW); and Bel-Kap-Steel LLC.

The Treasury said it is identifying one aircraft owned by Belavia as blocked property.

Additionally, the State Department is imposing visa restrictions on 101 Lukashenka regime officials and their affiliates “for undermining or harming democratic institutions in Belarus”. They include several judges responsible for issuing politically-motivated sentences against Belarusians for exercising their fundamental freedoms.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said U.S. is imposing sanctions and visa restrictions to hold the Lukashenka Regime accountable for its crackdown on the Belarusian protest movement demanding fundamental freedoms.

He called for the immediate release of all 1,500 political prisoners held by the Lukashenka regime, including Ales Bialiatski, Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kalesnikava, Ihar Losik, and Siarhei Tsikhanouski.

Blinken announced the latest round of U.S. sanctions on the third anniversary of the presidential election in Belarus.

Washington alleges that Lukashenka was re-elected in a fraudulent presidential election in August 2020.

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