The UK Calls for Sanctions Against Lukashenka's Wallet

One of the leaders of the Labor Party believes that London should strike at Mikhail Gutseriyev.

The British authorities urged to check the connections of billionaire Mikhail Gutseriyev and "the last dictator of Europe" Aliaksandr Lukashenka. The influential newspaper The Telegraph wrote about this in detail. Website kyky.org.

"A fortune of $ 1.1 billion." What you need to know about Gutseriyev and his family

The text begins with a story about "the most expensive wedding in the world" - the wedding of the billionaire's son Said Gutseriyev (he grew up in London and graduated from Oxford). The Telegraph estimated the cost of this event at tens of millions of pounds. And they remind that such stars as Jennifer Lopez, Sting, and Enrique Iglesias performed there. The bride's dress cost about a million dollars, and the wedding cortege was assembled from Rolls Royces.

Everyone wrote and talked about this event, but four years after the wedding, The Telegraph writes, attention was drawn to the ties between the Gutseriyev family and Lukashenka.

Lukashenka's critics are demanding that the British government and the EU investigate ties between London and Minsk and impose sanctions on "all oligarchs who will be caught in close ties with a dictator who is accused of violating human rights."

Further, The Telegraph lists the well-known assets of Gutseriyev. The company GCM Global Energy PLC is mentioned, in which Said and Mikhail Gutseriyev own a controlling stake. Its office is located in central London. The authors of the text write that GCM Global has interests in Belarus, in particular, the deal for the £ 1 billion potash plant, which is due to open next year.

The Telegraph also reminds that Gutseriyev is the chairman of the board of Russneft. It is one of Russia's largest oil companies, which has become the only Russian oil supplier to Belarus. We did not forget to mention Currency.com, a cryptocurrency exchange company based in Minsk. It was also created by Said Gutseriyev.

The Telegraph writes: according to Forbes, Said Gutseriyev's fortune is $ 1.1 billion, and his father's is twice as much.

When Gutseriyev was personally spotted with Lukashenka

The Telegraph writes that Mikhail Gutseriyev became close to Lukashenka in 2007 when he left Moscow for fear of persecution (after a quarrel with another oligarch). First, Gutseriyev flew to Minsk, after which he moved to London for three years.

The newspaper reminds us that Lukashenka came to power in 1994. And they clarify that the presidential elections in Belarus were not recognized by either the European Union or the United States this year. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the vote fraud "despicable" and imposed sanctions on Lukashenka and his senior officials.

Despite the fact that most countries of the world did not recognize Lukashenka, he held a secret inauguration in Minsk, which, according to the newspaper, was allegedly attended by Mikail Gutseriyev. The Telegraph clarifies: "According to onboard magazines, Gutseriyev arrived in Minsk the day before the inauguration and flew to Moscow the next day. On October 5, two men appeared side by side in public at the opening of a new church near Minsk."

Who demands to "excommunicate" Gutseriyev from London because of ties with Lukashenka

The Telegraph writes that opposition activists have called on the British government to cut off business ties between London and Minsk, which they say are helping to maintain the dictatorship.

A representative of iSANS and Creative Politics Hub in a comment to the Telegraph said: "We call on the UK, EU, and US governments to impose urgent sanctions against people like Gutseriyev who continue to make big money in Belarus. Lukashenka's regime continues to violate human rights. The scale of violations in Belarus is the largest in Europe in 30 years, including rape, torture, and murder. It is wrong that oligarchs like Gutseriyev make millions in Belarus while people are suffering from the regime."

Catherine West, a shadow minister of the Labour Party in Europe and campaigner against Lukashenka's regime, states: "London should not be used by an oligarch who is a friend of Lukashenka to support his vile regime. I urge Dominic Raab to introduce sanctions that have an effect and hit Lukashenka where it hurts - on the wallet."

The Telegraph also sought comments from the Gutseriev family, but a Safmar representative declined to provide information over the weekend, offering an official response on Monday.