Today marks four years since the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus and the Lukashenka regime's violent repression of Belarusians living inside and outside the country.
In coordination with our allies and partners from Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, we are taking additional sanctions actions to promote accountability for the Lukashenka regime's continued repression. Today, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on 19 individuals and 14 entities and identified one aircraft as blocked property.
The Department of State is also announcing today that it took steps to impose visa restrictions on 19 regime officials and their affiliates for their involvement in undermining democracy in Belarus. These individuals include those involved in efforts to misuse Interpol systems to target Belarusian dissidents abroad, the physical abuse and reported torture of pro-democracy activists, disbarring attorneys for representing pro-democracy activists, tracking and arresting citizens who subscribe to social media sites that carry content criticizing the regime, and granting permission for armed servicemen to violently disperse peaceful protests in 2020.
We reiterate our call for the immediate and unconditional release of almost 1,400 political prisoners held by the Lukashenka regime. The United States stands with the people of Belarus as they pursue a democratic, sovereign, and prosperous future for their country as part of a Europe that is whole, free and at peace.
The Department of State visa restrictions were taken pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 8015. The Department of the Treasury actions were taken pursuant to Executive Orders 14038 and 14024
