The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada are demanding the immediate release of nearly 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus, and threatening new moves to reverse the "suppression of democracy" there.
In a joint statement Friday, the Western allies marked the fourth anniversary of what they called the country's "fraudulent" 2020 election by saying they "stand in solidarity with the people of Belarus."
The widely disputed vote, which gave President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term, sparked the country's largest protests and government crackdown since Belarus declared its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991.
"We call on Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the almost 1,400 political prisoners being held in Belarusian prisons," the allies said. "We will continue to consider our options, including additional sanctions, to hold accountable those who enable the...suppression of democracy in Belarus."
The Western governments also said they would "continue to take meaningful steps to expose and cut off the flow of crucial support and components through Belarus that fuel Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine, while maintaining our support for the Belarusian people."
Also on Friday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against 19 Belarusian individuals and 14 entities for "supporting Russia's war in Ukraine."
Other sanctions were imposed this week by the EU, Britain and Canada, the Associated Press reported, and Friday's statement said the actions represented a "coordinated, multilateral effort to advance accountability" for Lukashenko's regime.
Lukashenko, who this year marked 30 years in power, has maintained his grip with the help of Moscow, which he let use Belarussian territory as a staging ground to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
Last year, Lukashenko also allowed Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders NATO members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.
