LONDON: Britain has announced fresh sanctions against Belarus on Friday over alleged human rights violations and the ongoing facilitation of Russia in war against Ukraine.
The British government said four individuals and three entities had been targeted under the decision.
It said the coordinated action with global partners marked the fourth anniversary of the “deeply flawed” 2020 presidential elections in Belarus. Most of the western observers say that President Alexander Lukashenko lost that election.
Commanding officers of four Belarusian colonies where political prisoners have been detained were sanctioned on Friday.
“Four years on from the brutal scenes we witnessed in Belarus, Lukashenko’s relentless crackdown on civil society has shown no signs of abating,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
“We stand with the people of Belarus and their pursuit of freedom and democracy and call on the regime to release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.”
Civil society and a free media have been almost eliminated in Belarus at the hands of Lukashenko’s regime.
Today's sanctions target those involved in human rights violations & the regime’s assistance to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.
The UK stands with the people of Belarus. https://t.co/WuQX1qRu9w
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 9, 2024
The three entities sanctioned included two machine tool manufacturers who have exported goods to Russia for military-industrial sector, and one business affiliated with the Belarusian government which has done business in the defense sector.
Britain also announced US $3 million of funding to support Belarusian human rights and civil society causes.
