US sanctions 44 Belarusian officials, entities on anniversary of 'fraudulent elections'

The USA joined Canada and the UK, on Monday, to place new sanctions on Belarusian government officials, and allies of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Citing the leader’s increasing political repression and corruption, the US government announced that it sanctioned at least 23 Belarus officials and 21 other entities that are closely linked with Lukashenko. The US State Department and US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued an official statement on August 9 on the “anniversary of the fraudulent presidential Belarusian election,” saying that it was holding Lukashenko’s regime to account. 

In a press statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the United States government has taken “decisive action” against 44 political personalities and entities in order to hold Lukashenko and his oppressive regime to account for “its continued, violent repression of Belarusians inside and outside the country.” The US Department of State condemned the Belarusian leader’s continued flagrant disregard for human rights, as well as Belarus’s “failure to comply with its obligations under international human rights law.” 

US President Joe Biden signs executive order 

A new executive order designating the 44 individuals and entities on the sanctions list was signed by US President Joe Biden and the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday.

“These sanctions are the latest in a series of efforts demonstrating our determination to take action in the face of the increased repression and sharply deteriorating human rights situation in Belarus,” the United States embassy in Belarus stated. It added that the OFAC targeted, among others, entities and individuals, including state-owned enterprises, government officials, and others, who support the regime, facilitate its violent repression of the Belarusian people, and violate the rule of law.  

The US also welcomed the steps taken by allies, the UK and Canada, against the Belarusian regime and the sanctions announced by the European Union on June 24. “The United States further commends the ongoing close coordination with Lithuania and Poland as a demonstration of the steadfast international resolve in supporting the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations,” the US embassy wrote in a statement. It denounced Belarus for oppressing the citizens that turned out in record numbers to give voice to their democratic aspirations after the fraudulent elections. “Instead of honouring their votes, the regime fraudulently declared victory and embarked on a campaign of violence and repression,” the US embassy said.

“This [Belrusian] repression features blatant disregard of international norms, as displayed by the brazen forced diversion of Ryanair flight 4978 for the purpose of arresting a Belarusian journalist, the dangerous attempt to intimidate the EU – in particular, our Ally Lithuania – by orchestrating irregular migrant flows on Belarus’s border, and most recently the attempted forced repatriation of Belarusian Olympian Krystsyna Tsimanouskaya, who has been offered a humanitarian visa by Poland,” US state department said in an official statement on Monday.

The USA condemned Lukashenko for cementing his hold on power at the expense of the Belarusian people and lambasted the Lukashenka administration for a political crackdown on independent media outlets. “Belarusian authorities are attempting to silence NGOs and vital members of civil society,” the US embassy's statement read.

The USA has called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus, for engaging in a dialogue with the democratic opposition, an OSCE Expert Mission report, and holding free and fair elections under international observation in Belarus.