[ad_1]
Britain and Canada have imposed sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, and other leading figures in the regime.
The sanctions take effect from Tuesday and include a travel ban and an asset freeze. It is the first time that the UK has targeted a national leader with its own sanctions.
Belarus has been besieged by massive protests since August following the controversial sixth election victory for Lukashenko, who claimed to have won 80 percent of the vote in an election widely denounced as rigged.
The UK move comes as an EU effort to impose its own countermeasures on Belarus is held back by Cyprus’ sole refusal to give the go-ahead, unless the bloc also imposes sanctions on Turkey.
In a statement Tuesday, British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said: “Today, the UK and Canada have sent a clear message by imposing sanctions against the fraudulent and violent regime of Alexander Lukashenko. We do not accept the results of this rigged election.
“We will hold those responsible for the violence against the Belarusian people accountable and uphold our values of democracy and human rights.”
Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, has been the subject of fierce international criticism for his handling of the elections and the violent treatment of protesters, many of whom have been attacked with water cannons and arrested by riot police. .
Britain’s Foreign Ministry said the sanctions were part of a coordinated response with Canada and had been issued in direct response to the alleged torture and mistreatment of protesters.
Speaking in the House of Commons last week, Raab argued that the UK needed to advocate for democracy abroad: ‘Our vision for the global UK means upholding democracy and human rights, that’s what we are doing in Belarus ”.
The British government’s move marks the second time that measures have been imposed under the new human rights sanctions regime, which is designed to highlight the UK’s approach to diplomacy before the country’s exit from the EU.
In July this year, Britain issued 49 sanctions to individuals and organizations implicated in human rights violations, including 20 Saudi nationals associated with the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Many of the sanctions are largely symbolic, targeting people with few overt ties to the UK, such as Myanmar’s top generals punished for military atrocities against Rohingya Muslims.
The sanctions proposed by the EU are more extensive and target about 40 people, but require unanimity. Cyprus has insisted that it supports the measures in principle, but wants the bloc members to honor their commitment to take a tougher line against Ankara in its energy exploration of the Eastern Mediterranean.
In 2016, the EU, which later included the UK, lifted sanctions on 170 people, including Lukashenko, reflecting a modest improvement in political ties with Minsk.
