US ready to impose new sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime

The US plan to impose new economic sanctions against Belarusian state enterprises, US Ambassador to Belarus Karen B. Stewart stated at a press conference in Minsk. “I must condemn in the strongest terms the action taken by the authorities against peaceful protesters,” Karen Stewart said.

“I must condemn in the strongest terms the action taken by the authorities against peaceful protesters. Yesterday Zmitser Fedaruk was severely beaten by uniformed militia. He remains in the hospital, and we will continue our efforts to visit him there today. On Monday after a peaceful demonstration on behalf of entrepreneurs, plainclothed security forces arrested nine persons: Viktar Ivashkevich, Viktar Harbachou, Viktar Kryval, Alyaksei Kashkarou, Viktar Kalej, Alyaksandr Tsetsura, Barus Haretski, Alyaksandr Makaeu and Krystsina Shatsikava, caused injuries to Anatol Lyabedzka and detained Volha Kazulina. These brutal actions reverse the little progress that has been made by the authorities in allowing peaceful protest,” the Ambassador said.

The US is ready to impose new sanctions against the state enterprises. “In the future other enterprises which be looked at might be subsidiaries of Belneftekhim or other state enterprises where we have evidence of direct link between the top authorities and the control of the enterprise,” the diplomat said.

Answering the question how the US would identify who of the state officials control an enterprise, K. Stewart said that as one example is “to look at evidence of direct decisions such as does the president of the country appoint or dismiss the chairman of the company”.

The Ambassador reminded that the deputy Secretary of State David Kramer visited Minsk in April 2007. “He outlined the US policy to the deputy head of the presidential administration Natallya Pyatkevich and Foreign Minister Syarhei Martynau. Explaining that that in the event political prisoners are not released, and other steps are not taken to return Belarus on democratic path, the US will work to extend the existing travel restrictions and assets freezes. However despite of attempts to amend amnesty legislation and a great deal of speculation, the six persons: Alyaksandr Kazulin, Andrei Klimau, Zmitser Dashkevich, Artur Finkevich, Yuly Lyavonau and Mikalay Autukhovich remain in jail or in “khimiya” as political prisoners. As before, we urge the Belarusian authorities to free all persons incarcerated on politically motivated charges”, Karen Stewart said.

The diplomat reminded that “the US has taken steps to increase our sanctions against officials and institutions we find responsible for the repression in Belarus. We’ve expanded our travel restrictions to include larger categories of persons based on their positions, including for the first time directors and deputy directors of state-owned enterprises and their spouses. Currently 30 persons have been refused visas to the US. In addition based upon the fact that enterprise Belneftekhim is under the direct control of the regime, the US Treasury has frozen its assets in the United States, closing the Belneftekhim office in the Boston area, and preventing the US citizens from doing business with Belneftekhim. And in the continuing absence of progress on the part of the Belarusian authorities, the United States has prepared to take further steps against other state enterprises”.

“It continues to be a hope and goal of The United States and the European Union that authorities would release all political prisoners, that Belarus would meet international obligations for free and fair elections and afford Belarusians their basic human rights. But this is not a naïve hope. The United States which is in frequent discussion with the European Union about Belarus will continue to take appropriate steps to focus the international spotlight on those persons responsible for the absence of progress in our relations while extending a hand of friendship to the Belarusian people,” Karen Stewart said.