June 14, President Barack Obama extended sanctions against a number of Belarusian officials for a year, introduced by his predecessor George Bush on June 16, 2006. "The actions and policies of the Belarusian government and others continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to national security and foreign policy of the United States," said the White House.
«Violations of the presidential elections in Belarus in December 2010 and their aftermath are brutal violence against peaceful demonstrators, the ongoing detention, prosecution and imprisonment of opposition presidential candidates and others, as well as the continuing repression of independent media and civil society activists — all this suggests that the Belarusian government is taking steps backward in the development of democratic governance and respect for human rights,» said in a statement the U.S. administration.
Sanctions were imposed on «members of the Government of Belarus and other persons undermining democratic processes or institutions in Belarus, violating human rights related to political repression, including detentions and disappearances, as well as involved in corruption, including through the confiscation or misuse of the Belarusian state assets or abuse of state power.»
In 2006, the U.S. government announced the imposition of sanctions against Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, his assistant for national security, CEC Chairman Lidia Yermoshina, Minister of Justice Viktor Holovanov, Assistant to the President for Special Assignments Viktor Sheiman, commander of the SWAT Dmitri Pavlichenko, KGB head Stepan Sukhorenko, BTRC chairman Alexander Zimovski, Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov, deputy head of presidential administration Natalia Petkevich.
