Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced new sanctions against Belarus on Tuesday in response to her support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Belarusian leaders are allowing human rights abuses and allowing the country to serve as a launching pad for Russian attacks, Ms. Joly argues in a statement.
Canada is adding 22 Belarusian officials to the sanctions list, including people involved in transporting Russian military personnel and equipment.
The sanctions also affect 16 Belarusian companies in the military manufacturing, technology, engineering, banking and railway sectors.
The announcement comes as the country’s exiled opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, travels to Ottawa to meet Minister Joly.
The two women intend to discuss the complicity of President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in the war and the importance of maintaining democracy in Belarus, Joly said.
Ms. Tikhanovskaïa must also meet deputies and senators during her visit to the federal capital.
President Lukashenko came to power in a 2020 election deemed to be fraudulent.
Ms. Tikhanovskaïa has since been in exile in Lithuania. The government carried out a sweeping crackdown on the protests, arresting more than 35,000 people.
“President Lukashenko’s utter disregard for human rights, both at home and abroad, is unjustifiable,” says Ms. Joly.
“These measures will put additional pressure on Belarusian leaders. President Lukashenko must stop being an instrument of the Russian regime. »