Lukashenko Defiant In Face Of Sanctions On One-Year Anniversary Of Disputed Election
August 10, 2021 –A year after Belarus’s contested presidential election, several Western governments added more names to their sanctions program against Belarusian officials and entities. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom launched a coordinated action on Monday to demonstrate resolve against the government of Belarus President Lukashenko.
“The Lukashenko regime continues to crush democracy and violate human rights in Belarus,” said UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. “These sanctions demonstrate that the UK will not accept Lukashenko’s actions since the fraudulent election. The products of Lukashenko’s state-owned industries will not be sold in the UK, and our aerospace companies will not touch his fleet of luxury aircraft.”
–UK Government
The British government added seven existing designations and targeted the following:
- Aviation restrictions against Belarusian air cariers from flying over or landing in the United Kingdom.
- Trade measures against potash, petroleum, interception and monitoring goods, cigarette manufacturing goods, and dual use technology.
- And financial prohibitions against securities and money-market instruments issued by the Belarusian state.
Lukashenko Unphased
Meanwhile, Lukashenko appeared defiant on Monday, the anniversary of his reelection, which observers view as having been unfair and illegitimate. In a style that mirrors Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko held a marathon eight-hour press conference.
“We will never get on our knees,” Lukashenko said, according to reporting by Ola Cichowlas for the International Business Times. “You will choke on these sanctions.”
U.S. New Executive Order
In the United States, President Joe Biden signed a new Executive Order blocking the property of forty-four sanctioned Belarusian individuals.
Demonstrating a continued effort to support the Belarusian citizen’s protests for democratic change, President Biden, and in tandem, Treasury’s OFAC, sanctioned additional culprits of Belarus regime repression. Specifically, the Executive Order targets the following Belarusian authorities:
- Those associated with the forced landing of Ryanair Flight FR4978 on May 23, 2021,
- People who have profited from the regime at civilian costs.
- Lastly, persons who have participated in repressive actions towards peaceful protestors.
“These steps are a further consequence to the Belarusian authorities’ continued flagrant disregard for human rights and Belarus’s failure to comply with its obligations under international human rights law”, said State Department Secretary Antony Blinken, in yesterday’s State Department press release.
This Executive Order follows closely behind the European Union’s June 24 sanctions.
OFAC’s Belarus General License 4
Similarly, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) enacted Belarus General License 4 authorizing the wind-down of Belaruskali OAO transactions.
The additional sanctions by the OFAC specifically name people who are financial contributors to the Lukashenko regime. The forty-four individuals and entities sanctioned have received special treatment by the regime in return for their monetary support towards Lukashenko’s presidency.
“Today’s action represents the largest Belarus-related tranche of designations imposed by the OFAC to date,” reported the Department of Treasury‘s press release.
In response to the action, the properties, and interests of sanctioned persons and entities within the United States are frozen. Also blocked, all properties and interests that have a 50 percent or more ownership by a sanctioned individual or entity. Furthermore, it blocks transactions within the United State or by U.S. citizens or banks connected to sanctioned individuals.
An International Push for a Democratic Belarus
Secretary Blinken acknowledged the efforts of the international community to support a democratic shift in Belarus. Specifically, referencing sanctions issued by the United Kingdom and Canada and coordination with Poland and Lithuania.
Secretary Blinken remarked on recent Belarusian translational repression, “The United States stands in solidarity with our Allies and partners in responding to these threats.”
The United States calls on the end of violence towards citizen protestors and the release of political prisoners connected to democratic demonstrations. The United States and its allies emphasize their continued action towards Belarus’ abuses and violence.
Effectiveness of Western Sanctions
As of late, the Belarusian government has engaged in illegal immigration to EU member states. Such actions prove the Western sanctions are indeed working.
In June, the EU responded to Belarus’ human rights violations through sanctions towards Minsk. Considered to be a “co-ordinated initiative” to hurt Brussels, the movement of Iraqi citizens from Belarus to Lithuania is on the rise.
European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, told Financial Times, “To me it is a clear link between the sanctions and him being desperate. He has nothing left, except violence.”
On Tuesday, Latvia’s prime minister stated they will being closing their frontier with Belarus as a result of their state of emergency at the border.
The US, UK, and Canada’s recent sanctions include Minsk in response to the growing illegal immigration taking place along Belarus’ borders.
Johansson adds that Lukashenko’s organized illegal immigration is a means of retaliating against not only Lithuania, Poland, and Latvia, but also the EU as an entirety.
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