Canada hits new penalties on officials over human rights breaches in Belarus

Key takeaways: 

• Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly states the ‘Belarusian regime must respond for its actions.’
• Canada slaps fresh sanctions on officials. 

Belarusian officials violate the human rights: 

Canada has inflicted new penalties on Belarusian officials over human rights breaches in that nation — actions taken in coordination with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

“The Belarusian regime must answer for its acts, which affect those both inside and outside its borders,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly stated in a press statement today. Source – cbc.ca

“Along with its international partners, Canada stands against Belarus’s ongoing efforts to hush political dissent and to destabilize the region. We will not allow the Lukashenko regime to continue to violate its international obligations with impunity. Human rights are not negotiable.” Source – cbc.ca

The federal government declared that 24 people and seven entities would face penalties under the Special Economic Measures Act in answer to steps taken by the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko.

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Following presidential elections in August of 2020 that the West and many external witnesses stated were dishonest, Lukashenko has used the Belarusian government’s security troops to crack down harshly on public rallies with unreasonable arrests and extreme force, the federal government states.

The government states Lukashenko’s regime has not been hindered by bans inflicted by Canada in August of 2021 and proceeds to arbitrarily detain people and limit freedom of creation, association and peaceful assembly.

Till now, 96 Belarusian officials and 12 entities have been sanctioned by Canada. The federal government states it has given almost $3 million to civil society groups operating to strengthen democracy in Belarus.

“It has also been made clear that the Lukashenko regime is orchestrating irregular migration across its borders with the EU, coming at a great cost to the region’s stability,” the press statement states. Source – cbc.ca