US Sanctions Belarus Olympic Committee and State-Owned Enterprises... Biden Condemns "Illegal Regime"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] The Joe Biden administration in the United States has imposed the largest scale of additional sanctions on the Belarus regime, which continues its iron-fisted rule. These sanctions were implemented exactly one year after Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in long-term power since 1994, won the August presidential election last year, which Western countries including the U.S. have deemed fraudulent.

In particular, the Belarus National Olympic Committee (NOC) was also targeted for sanctions amid the defection of a Belarusian track and field athlete who sought asylum after feeling threatened at the Tokyo Olympics.

On the 9th (local time), according to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), President Biden signed an executive order for new sanctions against the Lukashenko regime for its attacks on human rights, democratic aspirations, cross-border repression, and corruption.

Along with the Belarus National Olympic Committee, private banks, companies, industry leaders, close associates of President Lukashenko, and key institutions were designated for sanctions by the Treasury Department.

The Treasury Department accused the Belarus National Olympic Committee of facilitating money laundering and sanctions evasion, and escaping visa bans.

The sanctions on the Belarus Olympic Committee came after Belarusian female track athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who competed in the recent Tokyo Olympics, defected to Poland fearing for her safety after criticizing her coaching staff.

Christina Chimanouskaya Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Tsimanouskaya is one of the sports figures who publicly criticized the regime for violently suppressing protests in Belarus immediately following last year’s presidential election.

Additionally, Belarus’s largest state-owned enterprise and the world’s largest producer of potash fertilizer, Belaruskal? OAO, and Belarus’s largest tobacco producer, Grodno Tobacco Factory Neman, were included in the sanctions list.

One analyst told Bloomberg, "Potash is a major resource and export product of Belarus," adding, "The sanctions will drive up prices."

Also named were the Belarus Republic Investigative Committee, the government organization at the forefront of suppressing opposition and citizens since the last presidential election, along with its leadership.

The Treasury Department stated that 17 companies and organizations and 27 individuals were sanctioned.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

In a statement that day, President Biden said, "(Lukashenko) has arrested thousands of citizens conducting peaceful protests, detained numerous political prisoners, journalists, and civil society leaders, and even forced foreign-registered aircraft to land," adding, "All of this is an illegal effort by the Lukashenko regime to maintain power at any cost."

On August 23 last year (local time), protests by citizens against the Alexander Lukashenko regime took place in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the same day, the UK government also banned Belarusian aircraft from entering its airspace and prohibited the purchase of securities and short-term financial market products issued by the Belarusian government as part of its sanctions measures.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, "These sanctions demonstrate that the UK government will not tolerate Lukashenko’s actions," adding, "The Lukashenko regime is destroying democracy and violating human rights."

Following the announcement of the UK sanctions, President Lukashenko criticized the UK, calling it "America’s lapdog."

Belarus drew international criticism in May after forcibly landing a Ryanair passenger plane and arresting opposition figure Raman Pratasevich.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The United States, European Union (EU), UK, Canada, and others condemned the incident and imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials and organizations. The U.S. also banned entry for 46 officials.

The Lukashenko regime has been under U.S. sanctions since 2006. According to Belarusian human rights group Viasna, there are currently 603 political prisoners in Belarus.

Although Western sanctions against Belarus, including those from the U.S., continue, AFP reported that their effectiveness is limited due to Russian support.

Meanwhile, Poland announced that the number of migrants crossing from Belarus has surged since the 6th, setting a record high.

According to authorities, 349 illegal migrants have crossed the Belarusian border into Poland since the 6th, most of whom are believed to be from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Poland protested, stating that this surge in migrants is part of retaliatory measures by the Belarus regime following its allowance of Tsimanouskaya’s asylum.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.