EU Extends Sanctions on Belarusian Officials Until 2022

The European Union is extending sanctions it has in place on 88 individuals and 7 entities until Feb. 28, 2022, for their roles in enacting electoral fraud and the current regime's violent repression of the opposition and protesters in Belarus. In a Feb. 25 press release, the European Council announced the continuation, which includes President Alexandr Lukashenko and consists of a travel ban and asset freeze on listed individuals and an asset freeze on the entities. The sanctions were initially put in place following the fraudulent presidential election in August 2020 and ensuing wave of violently repressed demonstrations.