The US is imposing visa restrictions on 100 officials of Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko’s regime and his affiliates “for their involvement in undermining and damaging democratic institutions or obstructing the transition to democracy” in Belarus. This is stated in a statement from US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken dated Tuesday, August 9. The comment was made on the occasion of the second anniversary of the protests in Belarus that began after the presidential elections in August 2020.

According to the US Department of State, we are talking about high-ranking officials, in particular the Lukashenka administration, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the State Security Committee (KGB), the Central Election Commission, the Attorney’s Office -General, the Office of the Investigation Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of Belarus, as well as the military. The measures also affected employees of Belteleradiocompany, the Second National TV Channel.

Those sanctioned are involved, among other things, in torture, violent arrests of peaceful protesters, attacks on journalists, electoral fraud and the conviction of political prisoners on political grounds, the US Foreign Ministry said.

Since the rigged 2020 election, the US Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on a total of 297 people.

Borrell: Committed to democracy in Belarus in the long term

Meanwhile, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said in a separate statement that the EU is ready to mobilize a “comprehensive €3 billion economic support plan” for Belarus as soon as ” democratic transition take place” there. “This clearly shows our long-term commitment to the peace, democratic aspirations and prosperity of the Belarusian people,” he stressed.

“We will not forget either the victims of the Lukashenka regime or its past and present crimes,” added the head of European diplomacy.

He also denounced the role the Minsk regime is playing in Russia’s war against Ukraine. “When Russia launched its war of unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine, the Lukashenko regime became an accomplice of Putin against the will of the vast majority of the Belarusian people, allowing the Russian Federation to use the territory of Belarus to invade Ukraine, launch missiles and provide Moscow with full political and logistical support. Now the regime is persecuting Belarusians who oppose the war,” Borrell said.

Protests in Belarus after elections in 2020

After the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, 2020, the winner of which was announced by the CEC to Alexander Lukashenko, protests began in the country. During the rallies, thousands of people were injured, arrested and detained, including many journalists.

The opposition formed a Coordinating Council to transfer power, but later all Presidium members of the Constitutional Court were imprisoned or ended up abroad. The European Union, Switzerland, USA, Canada and Great Britain have imposed sanctions against the ruling regime in Belarus.