US Targets 20 Individuals, 12 Entities In New Round Of Belarus-Related Sanctions

US Targets 20 Individuals, 12 Entities in New Round of Belarus-Related Sanctions

The United States has added 20 Belarusian citizens and 12 entities to its Specially Designated Nationals list over alleged human rights abuse and violation of international law amid the ongoing migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Thursday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2021) The United States has added 20 Belarusian citizens and 12 entities to its Specially Designated Nationals list over alleged human rights abuse and violation of international law amid the ongoing migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Thursday.

"Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), in response to the Lukashenka regime's blatant disregard for international norms and the wellbeing of its own citizens, is designating 20 individuals and 12 entities and identifying three aircraft as blocked property," the Treasury said in a press release. "The persons designated today have enabled the regime's migrant smuggling into the European Union (EU), have taken part in the ongoing crackdown on human rights and democracy, and have propped up the regime financially."

On the list of sanctioned Belarusian individuals is one of President Alexander Lukashenko's sons, Dmitry, who is being targeted as a family member of an official engaged in public corruption, as well as 10 security officials from the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Alexander Lukashenko himself, and Dmitry's older brother Viktor, have been under sanctions since 2006 as individuals allegedly engaged in public corruption and human rights abuse in Belarus.

The Treasury has also restricted transactions in Belarusian sovereign debt sold on Primary and secondary markets, according to the release.

The list of designated entities contains 11 companies from Belarus and one from Ukraine, including defense industry companies, major potash producers Belarusian Potash Company and Slavkali, and airline company Transaviaexport, along with two of its aircraft, which have allegedly transported ammunition and weapons to a foreign conflict zone, such as Libya.

Another designated entity in Belarus is a state-owned tourism company, Republican Unitary Enterprise Tsentrkurort, which is believed by US authorities to have played a key role in the migration crisis on the border with Poland, the release said.