Belarus: Washington sanctions dozens of officials in coordination with Europeans

The United States on Monday imposed targeted financial sanctions and visa restrictions on dozens of Belarusian officials and entities, in coordination with the European Union, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Read also: Plane hijacked in Belarus: when the EU grabs the hammer

These punitive measures, which target in particular close advisers to President Alexander Lukashenko and key officials of the interior and information ministries as well as the judiciary and intelligence services, are a response to the hijacking of a plane at the end of May in order to arrest an opponent but also, more broadly, "

" and human rights violations, declared the head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken in a statement.

“

” he added.

46 officials banned from entering the United States

The US Treasury has frozen any holdings in the US of 16 people and five entities, who will also be barred from accessing the US financial system.

These include a spokesperson for President Lukashenko, Natalia Mikalaeuna Eismant, the President of the Upper House of the Belarusian Parliament, Natalia Ivanauna Kachanava and the head of intelligence services Ivan Tsertsel.

To read also: Plane hijacked in Belarus: "Europe must rise to the challenge addressed to it"

For its part, the US State Department has banned 46 officials from Belarus from entering the United States - bringing to 155 the number of people targeted by US visa restrictions in connection with the crisis in that country.

Read also: The great fear of Belarusian opponents in exile in Vilnius

The hijacking of a Ryanair commercial flight on May 23 to Minsk airport in order to arrest two passengers, Belarusian dissident journalist Roman Protassevich and his Russian friend Sofia Sapega, reignited Western reprisals already underway since the disputed re-election of President Lukashenko and the repression of pro-democracy demonstrations.