The European Union has added 28 Belarusians to its sanctions list for their role in the "ongoing internal repression and human rights violations" in the country.
The listings "include various members of the judiciary, namely prosecutors and numerous judges who have issued politically motivated sentences, including against citizens who protested the fraudulent presidential elections of 2020, or who simply voiced their opinions" against the regime of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the European Council said in a statement on August 5.
Also placed on the list were two deputy chiefs of the Interior Ministry's Main Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (HUBAZiK). HUBAZiK is one of the main bodies responsible for political persecution in Belarus, "including arbitrary and unlawful arrests and ill-treatment, including torture, of activists and members of civil society," the statement added.
The Crisis In Belarus
Read our coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka continues his brutal crackdown on NGOs, activists, and independent media following the August 2020 presidential election.
Rights groups say tens of thousands of Belarusians have been subjected to "political repression" since Lukashenka claimed victory in a presidential vote in 2020 that the West and opposition politicians said was rigged.
Lukashenka, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1994, has refused to negotiate with the opposition, whose leaders have mostly been arrested or forced to leave the country.
The European Council said in its statement that a group of "longtime supporters" of Lukashenka who had "benefitted" from the regime are also targeted in the latest round of sanctions, which now apply to 261 individuals and 37 entities.
The director-general of the biggest state news agency, the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (BelTA), Iryna Akulovich, as well as the former director, Dzmitry Zhuk, were placed on the list, as well as the host of the Senate television program on the STV channel and the chairman of the Youth Council at the National Assembly of Belarus, Mikita Rachylouski.
"These regime propagandists willingly provided the Belarusian public with false information about repression perpetrated by the state authorities, spread disinformation produced by both Belarusian and Russian authorities, and promoted hatred towards democratic opposition and civil society," the statement said.
Those placed on the sanctions list are subject to an asset freeze in the EU, while the bloc's citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to them. Individuals are also subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU members.