USA Impose New Sanctions against State Authorities of Belarus

In the year since President Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 8015 concerning Belarus, the regime of Aliaksandr Lukashenka has continued to imprison and harass persons for speaking out in favor of democracy, holding peaceful demonstrations, and opposing the repressive policies of the regime. Despite some initial minor easing this spring of repressive measures, we have seen a renewed deterioration in the human rights and democracy situation in Belarus in the past few weeks.

Accordingly, the State Department issued updated guidance on August 3, 2007 which specifies the categories of persons whose visa applications are automatically subject to the special review procedures required by Presidential Proclamation 8015. The proclamation, issued on May 15, 2006, suspends the entry into the United States as immigrants and non-immigrants of persons responsible for policies or actions that threaten the transition to democracy in Belarus.

Under the updated visa guidance, the visa applications of the following persons are now

automatically subject to the procedures in place to enforce Presidential Proclamation 8015:
any official at or above the Deputy Minister level or equivalent;
any Prosecutor-General or Deputy Prosecutor-General;
any Ministry of Interior officer above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel;
any BKGB officers above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel;
any Oblast and Minsk City ideology officers;
the Head and Deputy Heads of the Presidential administration;
any member of the Central Election Commission;
the Chairpersons of oblast Central Elections Commissions;
the Chief Judges of Belarus District and Regional courts;
the Chief Judge of the Constitutional Court;
the Directors and Deputy Directors of state-owned companies;
the spouses of any official or employee listed above.