U.S., U.K. AND CANADA IMPOSE NEW SANCTIONS ON BELARUS
September 17, 2021
The U.S., U.K. and Canada imposed new trade, financial and aviation sanctions on Belarus following Belarus’ disputed presidential election and specifically in response to a crackdown of the Belarusian government on pro-democracy activists and the press within the country.
The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said that Britain will limit Belarusian trade on a number of goods that can be used to suppress dissidents of the Belarusian government or provide a revenue stream to the government. Britain is also adopting measures to stop granting loans to the government, and has said it will ban Belarusian air carriers from flying over or landing in the U.K. Additionally, Britain will no longer provide technical assistance to Belarusian President Lukashenko’s fleet of luxury aircraft.
At the same time, President Biden signed an executive order imposing U.S. sanctions on Belarusian individuals and organizations. These new sanctions have been described as the largest round of U.S. sanctions against Belarus to date. Organizations that have been sanctioned include the Belaruskali OAO, which is one of the country’s largest state-owned enterprises, and the Belarusian National Olympic Committee, which has been accused of facilitating money laundering, sanctions evasion, and the circumvention of visa bans. President Biden also said in a statement that the sanctions were implemented in part because Lukashenko failed to heed calls for democracy, and has allegedly perpetuated election fraud and launched brutal campaigns to suppress dissenters.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Andy Orr (aorr@eckertsemans.com or 202-659-6625).
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