**EU Imposes New Sanctions on Belarus Officials and Companies**
The European Union has adopted new sanctions against 26 individuals and two companies linked to the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. The measures target judges who sentenced opposition figures, law enforcement officials involved in persecuting dissidents, and heads of penitentiaries where political prisoners are held.
**Belarus Sanctions**
Among those sanctioned are Belarusian companies Vlate Logistik and Ruzekspeditsiya, along with their owners and co-owners. The sanctions also apply to individuals and companies benefiting from privileges under Lukashenko’s regime and involved in circumventing existing European sanctions.
**Human Rights Abuses**
Belarus has a long history of human rights abuses, with over 50,000 citizens detained for political reasons since 2020, according to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna. The EU continues to apply pressure on Lukashenko’s regime as part of broader measures targeting human rights abuses and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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