On August 5, 2024, the Council of the European Union announced its decision to sanction 28 individuals responsible for the ongoing internal repression and human rights violations in Belarus. The designations were imposed under the Belarus sanctions regime which targets those who contribute to the situation in Belarus and Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The restrictive measures targeted two deputy heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Main Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (“Bel. HUBAZiK/ Rus. GUBOPiK”), for engaging in political persecution in Belarus, including the unlawful arrest, mistreatment and torture of activists and members of civil society. The Council also targeted a number of prosecutors and judges who issued politically motivated sentences against individuals who voiced opposition to or protested the Lukashenka regime. The Council also designated the heads of various correctional institutions and a group of Lukashenka’s supporters, including Belarusian propagandists Iryna Akulvich, the current director-general of state news agency Belarusian Telegraph Agency (“BEITA’) and Dzmitry Zhuk, the BEITA’s previous head.
The new designations were issued with the adoption of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2113 and Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2024/2116 on July 26, 2024. The designations were issued under the Belarus sanctions regime, which subjects listed persons to asset freezes and travel bans in the European Union, and also prohibits EU operators from making funds available to designated persons.
Council of the EU Press Release | Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2113 | Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2024/2116