The head of the Central Election Commission of Belarus has been added to the sanctions list, while Belarusian defense enterprises that are strategically important to Alexander Lukashenko, who calls himself the president of Belarus and aids the aggressor country Russia in its war against Ukraine, have been excluded from the British economy.
"The world has grown accustomed to the cynical façade of democracy in Belarus, as showcased by Lukashenko, even though he brutally suppresses civil society and opposition voices to solidify his power," stated British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
The sanctions imposed by London against Minsk have targeted the leaders of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK) of Belarus, who, according to Britain, are responsible for political persecution in the country:
- Igor Vasilyevich Karpenko – head of the Central Election Commission of Belarus;
- Viktor Alexandrovich Dubrovka – head of the Belarusian correctional facility "Correctional Colony No. 11" in the city of Volkovysk;
- Pavel Ivanovich Kazakov – head of the Belarusian correctional facility "Prison No. 1" in the city of Grodno;
- Andrei Mikhailovich Tsedrik – head of the pre-trial detention center (SIZO) No. 1 in the city of Minsk;
- Andrei Ananenko – head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption;
- Mikhail Bedunkevich – deputy head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption.
As Belarus has supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine by granting Moscow permission to use Belarusian territory, including for air strikes, and provided other support, Britain has also imposed sanctions on three entities in the country's defense sector:
- OJSC "ALEVKURP" – a company linked to the Belarusian government, specializing in the research, development, and production of radar systems and weapon control systems;
- OJSC "Legmash Plant" – a Belarusian company manufacturing ammunition for the Belarusian defense sector;
- KB "Unmanned Helicopters" (UAVHeli) – a Belarusian developer and manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).