US, Europe slap sanctions on Belarus over forced landing of plane

The United States and Europe on Monday imposed sanctions on dozens of Belarusian officials in a coordinated move to impact strongman Alexander Lukashenko after the forced landing of a commercial plane.

“These coordinated designations demonstrate the steadfast transatlantic commitment to supporting the Belarusian people’s democratic aspirations,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken says in a statement.

EU ministers impose travel bans and asset freezes on 78 Belarus officials and froze the assets of 8 “entities,” which are usually companies, banks, or associations. It means that a total of 166 people and 15 entities are now under EU restrictive measures.

“This decision was made in view of the escalation of serious human rights violations in Belarus and the violent repression of civil society, democratic opposition and journalists,” a statement said.

Seven people and one entity are hit specifically over the “forced and unlawful” landing of the Ryanair plane, which was traveling from Greece to Lithuania when it was ordered to stop in Minsk, where authorities arrested Raman Pratasevich, a dissident journalist who was one of the passengers.

Ministers will also prepare a raft of economic sanctions for EU leaders to endorse at a summit on Thursday.

The measures are likely to include action against the export of potash – a common fertilizer ingredient – tobacco industry exports and petroleum products, among others.