WUB Hub News

The UK government today issued a joint statement with Australia, Canada, the European Union and New Zealand condemning the presidential 'election' in Belarus on 26 January. The official preliminary election results handed Alyaksandr Lukashenka 87% of the vote; no genuine opponent was allowed on the ballot paper. Condemning the 'sham elections and the ongoing human rights violations' in Belarus, the signatories of the joint statement call for the release of 'over 1,250 political prisoners unjustly detained.' The statement ends: 'We will continue to support the aspirations of the Belarusian people for a free, democratic and independent Belarus.'

The UK and Canada also announced new sanctions on Belarus. The new sanctions hit six individuals involved in ongoing repressions and three defence sector companies. The goal of sanctions is to change Belarusian state policy so that it respects democratic principles and international law, ends repressions, and stops actions that destabilise Ukraine (including through support of Russia's military attacks on Ukraine). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office press release on the new sanctions can be read here. UK foreign secretary David Lammy commented: 'The world has become well-accustomed to Lukashenko's cynical pretence of democracy in Belarus.'

You can also read about the Belarus 'election' in a recent WUB Hub blog post.