U.S. to Snap Sanctions on Belarus State Companies Amid Crackdown

  • U.S. license to nine companies is set to expire April 26
  • Sanctions to be reversible if Belarus president opens dialogue

President Alexander Lukashenko

Photographer: Evgeny Maloletka/Bloomberg
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The U.S. will sanction nine petrochemical companies from Belarus next month unless President Alexander Lukashenko releases political prisoners and starts talks with his opponents, the State Department said Wednesday.

“Regrettably, we find the human rights situation has deteriorated to arguably the worst point in Belarus’s independent history,” spokesman Ned Price said during a press briefing.