US and EU agree sanctions on Belarus

New coordinated sanctions against Belarus were agreed by the EU, US, UK and Canada on Monday, intended to severely damage the Belarusian economy.

The sanctions are a response to what was described in a joint statement as the Belarusian government’s “continuing attacks on human rights, fundamental freedoms and international law,” which intensified last August, following a disputed election and repressive government crackdown.

These same attacks on human rights and freedoms were also witnessed last month with the unlawful diversion of a Ryanair flight in May.

Ryanair flight FR4978 from Athens to Vilnius was diverted by Belarusian authorities and forced to land in Minsk, where dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega who were on board, were promptly arrested.

On Monday, the EU added 78 individuals and four entities to its sanction list and endorsed a plan for sanctions targeting the Belarusian economy, marking the fourth round of restrictive measures against the Eastern European country since August 2020. These measures follow the bloc’s banning of Belarusian airlines from flying over the EU or using its airports, and are expected to be endorsed at the European Council summit on Thursday.

“Sanctions are a way of putting pressure on the government of Belarus and these are going to hurt. They are going to hurt the economy of Belarus heavily,” Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief told reporters in Luxembourg.

Heiko Maas, Germany’s chief diplomat said: “We will no longer just sanction individuals. We will now also impose sectoral sanctions — meaning that we now get to work on the economic areas that are of particular significance for Belarus and for the regime’s income.

“We want to make very, very clear to Lukashenko that there is no going back,” he said.

The joint statement by Canada, the EU, UK and US said: “Today, we have taken coordinated sanctions action in response to the 23 May forced landing of a commercial Ryanair flight between two EU member states and the politically motivated arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich and his companion Sofia Sapega, as well as to the continuing attack on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“We are committed to support the long-suppressed democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus and we stand together to impose costs on the regime for its blatant disregard of international commitments.”

It continued, calling for the regime to end its “repressive practices against its own people,” and for it to fully cooperate with international investigations into the circumstances surrounding the Ryanair flight.

The statement called on the government to immediately release all political prisoners, and to enter into a “comprehensive and genuine political dialogue” with representatives of democratic opposition and civil society.

New sanctions imposed by the UK include travel bans and asset freezes against high-ranking officials in the Belarusian regime and BNK Ltd, an exporter of Belarusian oil products, imposed against seven individuals and one entity.

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “The UK and our partners have today sanctioned those responsible for the continued suppression of democracy and human rights in Belarus.”

He added: “The Lukashenko regime endangered the lives of airline passengers and crew in a shameful ruse to snatch Roman Protasevich.

“We will hold the regime to account in co-ordination with our allies including through further banning travel, freezing assets and cutting off oil export revenue streams.”

The US and Canada are imposing their own sanctions in parallel.

The UK had previously imposed sanctions against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, his son, and senior figures in the Belarusian government, as part of a coordinated international approach with Canada in September 2020.

More sanctions are expected to follow that further target specific sectors of the Belarusian economy.