President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order imposing sanctions against Belarus on the one-year anniversary of what the White House called the "fraudulent Belarusian presidential election."

What You Need To Know

  • The U.S., U.K. and Canada imposed sanctions on Belarus marking the one-year anniversary of the President Alexander Lukashenko's election, which many nations have denounced as rigged

  • The White House also noted the forced landing of a European airliner traveling through the country’s airspace in order to arrest a prominent opposition journalist aboard

  • Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for 27 years defended the election and accused the opposition of preparing a coup

  • When asked about the U.K.'s new sanctions during his annual press conference on Monday, Lukashenko told a BBC reporter “you in Britain can choke on these sanctions”

On Aug. 9, 2020, elections held in Belarus handed President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term in office, but the election was denounced as rigged by his opposition, as well as Western nations.

"One year ago today, the people of Belarus sought to make their voices heard and shape their own future through that most basic expression of democracy—an election," President Biden wrote in a statement. "Rather than respect the clear will of the Belarusian people, the Lukashenka regime perpetrated election fraud, followed by a brutal campaign of repression to stifle dissent."

"From detaining thousands of peaceful protesters, to imprisoning more than 500 activists, civil society leaders, and journalists as political prisoners, to forcing the diversion of an international flight in an affront to global norms, the actions of the Lukashenka regime are an illegitimate effort to hold on to power at any price," Biden continued. "It is the responsibility of all those who care about human rights, free and fair elections, and freedom of expression to stand against this oppression."

In announcing the sanctions, the White House also noted the forced landing of a European airliner traveling through the country’s airspace in order to arrest a prominent opposition journalist aboard.

The U.S. Treasury department announced in a separate statement that it had sanctioned 23 individuals and 21 entities. Among those the Treasury Department cite in the new sanctions are Belaruskali OAO, which is one of Belarus’s largest state-owned enterprises and a source of wealth for the regime; the Belarusian National Olympic Committee; and 15 private companies, including the prominent Belarusian bank Absolutbank, that have ties with the Lukashenko regime.

The Belarus Olympic committee has been accused of facilitating money laundering, sanctions evasion and the circumvention of visa bans. The International Olympic Committee has also reprimanded it for its failure to protect Belarusian athletes from political discrimination and repression.

“One year ago today, Belarusians went to the polls and voted for change,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote.  “In response, Lukashenka unleashed a brutal campaign of repression to suppress democracy, while continuing to personally profit from endemic corruption. We stand with the people of Belarus and will continue to use every tool available, including the new sanctions authority the President signed today, to hold the Lukashenka regime to account for its human rights abuses, corruption, and attacks on democracy."

“It is the responsibility of all those who care about human rights, free and fair elections and freedom of expression to stand against this oppression,” Biden said in a statement. “The United States will continue to stand up for human rights and free expression, while holding the Lukashenka accountable, in concert with our allies and partners.”

Last week, Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, an Olympic sprinter who feared reprisals at home for criticizing her coaches, fled from the Tokyo Olympics to Poland.

The Biden administration has called on the Lukashenko regime to permit an independent international investigation into the Ryanair flight diversion, release all political prisoners; and begin talks with democratic opposition and civil society figures that results in a free and fair presidential election under observation by Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

The United Kingdom and Canada also tightened sanctions against Belarus. The sanctions mark an escalation of sanctions against Belarus and its senior leaders imposed after a commercial airliner traveling from Greece to Lithuania was forced to land in the Belarusian capital, where dissident journalist Raman Pratasevich was arrested.

“These sanctions demonstrate that the U.K. will not accept Lukashenko’s actions since the fraudulent election,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. “The products of Lukashenko’s state-owned industries will not be sold in the U.K., and our aerospace companies will not touch his fleet of luxury aircraft.”

Belarus’ authoritarian leader denied at his annual press conference Monday that his government unleashed harsh repression of dissent after his reelection triggered a monthslong wave of mass protests; Lukashenko also defended the election and accused the opposition of preparing a coup.

“We back then carried out preparation for the election and the election itself in the conditions of total transparency and democratization of political life,” Lukashenko said. “The difference was only that some were preparing for fair election, and others who called for bashing the authorities (were preparing) for a coup.”

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for 27 years, has denounced his opponents as foreign stooges and accused the U.S. and its allies of plotting to overthrow his government.

He has vaguely promised to step down after Belarus adopts a new constitution: On Monday, Lukashenko said it would happen "very soon," but did not specify when exactly.

When asked about the U.K.'s new sanctions during his annual press conference on Monday, Lukashenko told a BBC reporter “you in Britain can choke on these sanctions.”

This is a developing story. Check back later for further updates.