Minister Joly announces sanctions on fourth anniversary of fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus

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.