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June 22, 2021

Belarus Hit with New Sanctions as U.N. Rights Chief Decries Torture and Other Abuses
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The United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada have
imposed new sanctions on Belarus after its military diverted a Ryanair
passenger jet to Minsk in May in order to arrest a journalist. The new
sanctions came as U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the
government of President Alexander Lukashenko was guilty of torture and
other abuses.

Michelle Bachelet: "The situation in Belarus also continues to
deteriorate, with severe restrictions on civic space, including the
rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association;
raids against civil society and independent media; and the judicial
persecution of human rights activists and journalists. We continue to
receive numerous allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions,
torture and ill treatment."



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