Targets of Canada’s New Sanctions on Belarus Include Insurance

Canada, acting with the United States and Britain, imposed new sanctions on Belarus on Monday to protest against what it called gross violations of human rights under President Alexander Lukashenko.

Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said Ottawa would target transferable securities and money market instruments, debt financing, insurance and reinsurance, petroleum products and potassium chloride products. Washington and London announced similar measures.

Canada acted on the first anniversary of a presidential election which opponents said was rigged in favor of Lukashenko.

“Since then, the grave injustices carried out by the Belarusian government against its own people have not stopped… these measures will apply further pressure on Belarus’s leadership,” Garneau said.

Canada has to date sanctioned 72 Belarusian officials and five entities.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Angus MacSwan)