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Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance

Briefings

Belarus Sanctions: UK, EU and US

13 August 2021

On 23 May 2021, the Government of Belarus diverted a Ryanair passenger jet to land in Minsk and detained two of its passengers – activist and journalist Roman Protasevich, and his partner Sofia Sapega. In a joint statement issued on 21 June 2021, the UK, EU and US, in addition to Canada, expressed "deep concern regarding the [Alexander] Lukashenka regime’s continuing attacks on human rights, fundamental freedoms, and international law". An expansion of global sanctions on Belarus followed, the most wide-ranging of which were initially imposed by the EU to target sectors of the Belarusian economy.

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