UK and Canada announce sanctions on Belarus leader over 'rigged' election

UK and Canada on Tuesday, September 29, announced that they have imposed sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. In addition, they have also placed sanctions on Lukashenko’s son and other senior government officials. Belarus is currently reeling under mass anti-governmental protests which have demanded the resignation of authoritarian leader Lukashenko. The police force has resorted to brutal tactics and mass arrests in a bid to suppress the protests resulting in international condemnation and accusation of human rights abuses.

UK does not accept rigged elections: Raab

As per reports, UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has stated that they have coordinated with Canada and put sanctions against Belarus “in a bid to uphold democratic values and put pressure on those responsible for repression”. Raab has also claimed that Lukashenko’s rule is violet and fraudulent, and hoped that the sanctions will send a clear message that the UK will not accept the results of a rigged election.

French President Emmanuel Macron recently met Belarus’ opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, during a visit to Lithuania. Tsikhanouskaya was forced to flee Belarus last month following the declaration of the presidential election results but has continued campaigning against Lukashenko and extended her support to the protesters in Belarus.

Belarus's opposition claims that the results of the August 9 election that gave Lukashenko his sixth term in office were rigged and unfair, thousands of protesters have refused to accept the result and have called for Lukashenko’s resignation. As per reports, the police in Belarus had arrested close to 7,000 protesters in just the early weeks of the protests that have now been going on for seven weeks.

Read: Belarusian Opposition Leader To Address French Parliament Amid Unrest

Read: Belarus: Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich Leaves For Germany Amid Protests

According to reports, the British government has imposed a travel ban as well as frozen the assets of eight officials from the Belarusian government, including Lukashenko's son Viktor Aleksandrovich Lukashenko and Igor Sergeenko, the head of the presidential administration. Canada has also applied similar sanctions.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has stated: “Canada stands in solidarity with the people of Belarus as they struggle to restore human rights and achieve democracy in their country”. Tsikhanouskaya after meeting the French President told reporters that Macron had “promised us to do everything to help with negotiations, for this political crisis in our country”.

(With AP inputs, Image: AP)

Read: Belarus Police Detain Demonstrators As Thousands Protest At 'people’s Inauguration' Rally

Read: Over Hundred Thousand March In Belarus Capital On 50th Day Of Protests