Minister Joly announces sanctions on fourth anniversary of fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus
News release
August 9, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing sanctions against ten individuals and six entities under the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations. These persons are sanctioned on the fourth anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus, in response to their involvement in ongoing and systematic human rights abuses in Belarus and support for Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
The list of sanctioned individuals includes judges who, in blatant contravention of human rights obligations, have arbitrarily condemned and sentenced democracy defenders and regular citizens for expressing their opposition to the fraudulent elections of 2020. It also includes individuals who coordinate military production in Belarus and in close coordination with Russia.
The entities being sanctioned operate as part of the Belarusian defence and military-industrial complex and are involved in the production or repair of military equipment which enables Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Canada is also sanctioning a Belarusian state-owned enterprise which suppressed its employees’ right to peaceful protest following the fraudulent elections of August 2020, intimidating and firing employees who joined peaceful protests and strikes.
These measures, which are imposed in coordination with international partners including the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, are the latest example of Canada’s ongoing efforts to exert further pressure on Belarusian authorities and to pursue accountability for those supporting Putin’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Quotes
“Today, we are sending a clear message to the Government of Belarus: Canada will not accept the Lukashenko regime’s blatant violations of human rights. We will continue to work with our international partners to ensure that the voices of the people of Belarus are heard and to hold those who support Russia’s brutal and unjustifiable war against Ukraine accountable for their crimes.”
- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
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The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) characterized the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus as severely flawed, “not transparent, free or fair”, and recommended the results be annulled “due to irregularities at all stages of the process”.
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To date, Canada has announced 15 rounds of sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act (Belarus) on a total of 221 individuals and 77 entities.
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Canada has announced over $3 million to support civil society organizations working to advance democracy in Belarus, with a focus on women and independent media.
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Since 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 3,000 individuals and entities in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova who are complicit in the violation of Ukraine and Moldova’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as gross and systematic human rights violations.
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Associated links
- Canada imposes additional sanctions on third anniversary of Belarus’s fraudulent presidential elections
- Minister Joly announces additional sanctions on Belarusian individuals and entities in response to ongoing and systematic human rights violations
- Canadian Sanctions related to Belarus
- Sanctions: Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Canada’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Canada’s efforts to counter disinformation: Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Countering disinformation with facts: Russian invasion of Ukraine
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