In view of the Lukashenka regime’s suppression of political opposition and its continued attacks on human rights and the civil society, the U.S., U.K., E.U. and Canada levied coordinated designations targeting numerous individuals, industries, the jurisdiction and companies that are associated with or established by the Government of Belarus.
U.S. / OFAC Sanctions
With the goal of imposing a cost on the continuous repression of the civil society in Belarus, and the Belarussian crackdown on dissidents, OFAC has added ten major Belarussian officials of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of the MVD of the Republic of Belarus (GUBOPiK); including the Directorate’s head Andrey Parshin; deputies and divisional leaders.
The GUBOPIK Directorate itself had been designated on June, 2021 for its role in suppressing protests in the wake of the rigged 2020 elections. High ranking GUBOPiK officials are designated on the grounds of being or having been an official of the Belarussian government.
OFAC Sanctions targeting the Belarussian Defense and Security Nexus
The OFAC designations targeted five entities of the defence and security industries of Belarus. CJSC Beltechexport (Beltechexport), the authorized exporter part of the defence industry nexus of Belarus, associated with the Ministry of Defense. The Beltechexport is designated on the grounds of serving as an economic lifeline for the Belarussian government. The Beltechexport was already sanctioned by The EU and UK in December 2020. In addition, special equipment provider AGAT whose riot control system was used against peaceful demonstrators; surveillance systems producer Kidma Tech and security services provider OOO Gardservis were designated by OFAC.
Sanctions targeting Potash producers
The Potash sector is also targeted, reinforcing the sanctions announced by OFAC in August 2021 on the most prominent potash producer of the country, Belaruskali OAO.
The new set of designations targeting purveyors of potash included potash exporer and trader Open Joint Stock Company Belarusian Potash Company (BPC) and subsidiary Agrorozkvit LLC (Agrorozkvit), major producer of potash fertilizers and mining project constructor Foreign Limited Liability Company Slavkali (Slavkali) as well as the helicopter registered with the company which is known to transport Belarussian president Lukashenka.
Close associates of Lukashenka family
Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s middle son, senior level official Dzmitry Lukashenka, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and the former head of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate Dmitriy Mikhaylovich Korzyuk (Korzyuk), Republican State-Public Association Presidential Sports Club (Presidential Sports Club) which is headed by Dzmitry, and Dzmitriy Yurievich Baskau (Baskau) are designated on the grounds of their close links to the Lukashenka Family.
European Union Sanctions
Earlier this week, the EU had made subject the instrumentalization of migration by Belarus and released a proposal that clarified steps to be taken to deter the Lukashenko regime from inciting illegal border crossings. The proposal had included sanctions and blockages against transport operators.
The European Council decisions imposed restrictive orders on an 17 individuals and 11 entities in the face of the border crisis with Belarus and the country’s instrumentalization of migrants, using illegal border crossings to gain political advantage. The individuals and entities subjected to EU sanctions include the Belavia Belarusian Airlines, political, law enforcement, judiciary officials and accommodation and transport enterprises.
In addition to the instruments of migration policy leveraged against the EU by the Lukashenko regime, the Union sanctions have also focused on entities Belarussian government uses to strangle the civil society and dissident voices.
The EU Sanctions on Belarus at the moment include 183 individuals and 26 entities.
Canadian Sanctions
In coordination with the UK, EU, and US sanctions, Canada sanctions target 24 individuals (19 of which were a part of the US sanctions list), and 7 entities all of which were listed by the U.S.
The U.K.
The United Kingdom has designated eight individuals and the Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC) Belaruskali, the major producer of potash for the Belarussian regime.
