August 9, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Governments of Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, today issued the following statement on Belarus:

“Four years on from the fraudulent 2020 presidential election and the appalling human rights crackdown in Belarus, the United States of America, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom stand in solidarity with the people of Belarus who, in spite of continued repression by the Lukashenko regime, have peacefully and courageously pressed for democratic change, respect for human rights, and the release of all political prisoners.  We affirm that the sanctions we have recently announced represent a coordinated, multilateral effort to advance accountability for the Lukashenko regime.

“We call on Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the almost 1,400 political prisoners being held in Belarusian prisons. We will continue to consider our options, including additional sanctions, to hold accountable those who enable the Lukashenko regime’s suppression of democracy in Belarus.  We will also continue to take meaningful steps to expose and cut off the flow of crucial support and components through Belarus that fuel Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine, while maintaining our support for the Belarusian people.”