Britain has expanded sanctions against Belarus over the elections.

London imposed sanctions against three defense companies, as well as the heads of the Central Election Commission and the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, citing them in connection with the presidential election and human rights violations. According to the Belarusian Central Election Commission, Lukashenko won the election the day before with 86.82% of the vote. Press conference of the Central Election Commission of Belarus, Minsk , January 27, 2025 .

The UK has expanded sanctions against Belarus, adding nine new items to the sanctions list, according to the British government's website.

The British government issued a statement jointly with Canada, the EU , New Zealand and Australia, linking the new restrictions to the presidential elections held in Belarus the day before.

"We stand united in condemning the sham presidential election in Belarus on January 26 and the ongoing human rights violations committed by the Belarusian regime. The recently announced sanctions represent a coordinated, multilateral effort to hold the regime of [Belarusian President Alexander] Lukashenko accountable," the statement reads.

Six individuals were sanctioned. These are:

• Head of the Central Election Commission of Belarus Igor Karpenko;
• Head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (GUBOPiK) of the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs Andrei Ananenko;
• Head of Pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 of Belarus, Colonel Andrei Tsedrik;
• Deputy head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, head of the third department of the agency responsible for combating extremism, Mikhail Bedunkevich;
• Head of Prison No. 1 in Grodno Pavel Kazakov;
• Head of Correctional Colony No. 11 in the Grodno region of Belarus, Viktor Dubrovka.

Their assets in the UK will be frozen, and they themselves will be banned from entering the country. London cited their involvement in human rights violations in Belarus as the basis for imposing sanctions.

London also imposed restrictions on three companies: the Legmash plant, the Unmanned Helicopters design bureau, and the Alevkurp company. The British side designated them "involved parties" because they work in the Belarusian defense sector, which is of strategic importance to the country.

Presidential elections were held in Belarus yesterday, on January 26. According to the Belarusian Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko , running for his seventh term, won with 86.82% of the vote.

Lukashenko has been president of Belarus since 1994. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has already congratulated him on his victory, and the Kremlin has declared the vote transparent and fair. The European Union has called the Belarusian elections sham and unfree and promised new sanctions against Minsk. Even before the vote, the US Embassy in Belarus stated that elections in the republic cannot be free and fair "in the current repressive environment in the country."

Karpenko, commenting on statements by European Union leaders about not recognizing the results of the presidential elections, stated that the republic is "neither hot nor cold" about the complaints about the elections.

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