- Alongside our US, Canadian and EU allies, the UK has imposed fresh sanctions on eight Belarusian individuals responsible for repression and human rights violations.
- An asset freeze on OJSC Belaruskali, one of the world's largest producers of potash fertiliser, will target a major source of revenue and foreign currency for the Lukashenko regime.
- This is the fifth round of sanctions under the UK's Belarus sanctions regime, carefully targeting the Lukashenko regime whilst minimising impact on ordinary Belarusians.
The UK has today (Thursday 2 December) imposed another package of sanctions in response to the continued disregard for international law by the Lukashenko regime, and the ongoing violation of fundamental freedoms and human rights in Belarus.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:
The UK believes in free speech, a free press and freedom of association. We will not look away while members of the opposition, journalists and activists continue to be beaten, jailed and killed, or forced into exile.
These sanctions continue to target important sources of revenue to the Lukashenko regime and place severe restrictions on those responsible for some of the worst anti-democratic acts in Belarus.
The UK and our allies will always stand for the rule of law and hold to account those who undermine freedom, democracy and human rights.
This is the fifth tranche of sanctions in a series of important measures taken under the UK's Belarus sanctions regime. The UK has already imposed sanctions on more than 100 people and organisations in response to the fraudulent elections in Belarus and the litany of abhorrent acts and human rights violations that the Lukashenko regime continues to commit.
Under this latest tranche, the UK has imposed an asset freeze on one of the world's largest producers and exporters of potassium chloride (potash) fertilisers - a major source of revenue and foreign currency for the Lukashenko regime.
We have also imposed asset freezes and travel bans on five propagandists who played a key part in the spread of disinformation in Belarus, a senior Belarusian official responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in the country, as well as on a judge and assistant prosecutor who are responsible for numerous politically-motivated rulings against journalists, activists and protestors - including two BelSat journalists who were imprisoned in 2020 for live streaming peaceful protests.
These measures represent a significant additional step in bringing pressure to bear on the Lukashenko regime. They are carefully targeted to build pressure on Lukashenko, state institutions and those around him to change behaviour, while minimising, as far as possible, any unintended consequences on the wider population in Belarus.
The latest round of designations, which have been imposed alongside the US, Canada and EU, demonstrate that the UK is prepared to stand up for freedom and democracy, and act robustly, decisively and relentlessly to take on malign actors wherever they are in the world.
The UK will continue to work with its allies to hold malign actors to account and to support civil society and human rights in Belarus.
Notes:
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The UK, USA, Canada and EU have also issued a Joint Statement on today's coordinated sanctions, available here.
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Full list of individuals and entities sanctioned:
- OJSC BELARUSKALI
- Andrei PARSHYN
- Sergey Alexandrovich GUSACHENKO
- Lyudmila GLADKAYA
- Andrei Nikolaevich MUKOVOZCHYK
- Andrey Evgenievich KRIVOSHEYEV
- Grigoriy Yurievich AZARENOK
- Natalia Mikhailovna BUGUK
- Alina Sergeevna KASYANCHYK
