State Department: Promoting Accountability for Human Rights Abuses Perpetrated by the Governments of Russia and Belarus

The United States, with support from Allies and partners, is taking action to promote accountability for the Russian and Belarusian governments’ human rights abuses and violations within and outside their borders.  In doing so, we reiterate our condemnation of President Putin’s premeditated, unjustified, and unprovoked war against Ukraine, as well as the Lukashenka regime’s support and facilitation of the Russian Federation’s invasion.  President Putin’s military campaign against Ukraine has caused extensive and needless suffering, many hundreds and likely thousands of civilian casualties, including children, and growing reports of human rights abuses and violations.

At the same time, the Russian government has intensified a crackdown against its own citizens’ freedom of expression, including for members of the press, as well as freedom of association and peaceful assembly.  Today in Russia, those who provide factual reporting on the invasion or criticize Putin face criminal charges. Similarly, the Lukashenka regime in Belarus continues its violent repression against civil society, anti-war protestors, the democratic opposition, independent media, and ordinary Belarusians.

In response, the Department of State is announcing a series of actions to promote accountability for the Russian Federation’s and Government of Belarus’s human rights abuses and violations. These include:

• Designation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021. Lukashenka was publicly designated for his involvement in gross violations of human rights and significant corruption. Under this authority, Lukashenka and Lukashenka’s immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States, to include his wife, Galina Lukashenka, his adult sons, Viktar Lukashenka and Dzmitry Lukashenka, and his minor son.

• Designation of 11 senior Russian defense officials by the Department of State pursuant to E.O. 14024.  This includes Viktor Zolotov, the Head of the National Guard of Russia.  Under Zolotov’s leadership, the National Guard has cracked down on Russian citizens who have taken to the streets to protest their government’s brutal campaign in Ukraine. In addition, Zolotov’s troops are responsible for suppressing dissent in occupied areas of Ukraine.  More broadly, the designation of these 11 senior Russian defense leaders continues our imposition of severe costs on Russia’s Ministry of Defense as it pursues its brutal military invasion of Ukraine, which has led to unnecessary casualties and suffering, including the deaths of children. List here: https://www.state.gov/u-s-announces-sanctions-on-key-members-of-russias-defense-enterprise/

• A new visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act that applies to current and former Russian government officials believed to be involved in suppressing dissent in Russia and abroad. Family members of those who fall under the policy will also be ineligible for visas. We have taken our first action pursuant to this new visa authority against 38 individuals, and will continue to implement this policy to demonstrate solidarity with the victims of Russia’s repression.

• Designation of two of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) officers in Crimea, Artur Shambazov and Andrey Tishenin, pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021.  Shambazov and Tishenin were publicly designated for their involvement in a gross violation of human rights, namely torture.

• Imposition of visa restrictions on six individuals who, acting on behalf of the Russian Federation, were involved in attacks on Chechen dissidents living in Europe.  This action is being taken pursuant to the “Khashoggi Ban,” a visa restriction policy the Administration announced last year to counter transnational repression.

• Imposition of visa restrictions on 25 individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Belarus pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 8015, including Belarusian nationals involved in the fatal shooting and beating of two peaceful protesters; security forces involved in the violent dispersal of peaceful protests; regime officials responsible for launching politically-motivated cases against members of the opposition and civil society; and individuals engaging in corrupt practices supporting the Lukashenka regime.

Additionally, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is imposing sanctions on Kurchaloi District of the Chechen Republic Branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, two of its officers, a Kurchaloi District prosecutor, and a district court judge in Moscow, pursuant to the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.  OFAC is also re-designating Alyaksandr Lukashenka for his corrupt practices, and, pursuant to E.O. 13405, designating Galina Lukashenka as a member of Lukashenka’s family.

Under President Putin, Russian authorities have repeatedly targeted human rights advocates, peaceful dissenters, and whistleblowers, and they continue to do so amidst their ruthless war on Ukraine.  The Russian government has failed to take adequate steps to identify, investigate, prosecute, or punish most officials who committed abuses or violations, resulting in a climate of impunity.  Likewise, the Lukashenka regime continues its brutal crackdown on peaceful activists while it intensifies its support to the invasion of Ukraine. We are taking action against this autocratic attack on democracy.  The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who support, enable, and perpetrate human rights abuses in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and elsewhere.

For a complete list of today’s Department of the Treasury actions, please see this press release: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0654

 
State  Department: U.S. Announces Sanctions on Key Members of Russia’s Defense Enterprise

The world has been transfixed as Russia has perpetrated a premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine.  Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine has resulted in widespread human suffering and casualties, including the deaths of innocent civilians, including children. Today, the Department of State is continuing to impose severe costs on Russian military leaders.

Specifically, the following 11 individuals are being designated pursuant to E.O. 14024 Section 1(a)(i), as persons who operate or have operated in the defense and related materiel sector of the Russian Federation economy:

1. ALEKSEY KRIVORUCHKOis a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
2. TIMUR IVANOVis a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
3. YUNUS-BEK EVKUROV is a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
4. DMITRY BULGAKOVis a Russian Deputy Minister of Defense and a General of the Army. Bulgakov is the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense’s senior-most officer responsible for logistics matters.
5. YURIY SADOVENKO is a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
6. NIKOLAY PANKOV is a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
7. RUSLAN TSALIKOV is a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
8. GENNADY ZHIDKO is a Russian Ministry of Defense Deputy Minister of Defense.
9. VIKTOR ZOLOTOV is a Russian General of the Army and Commander-in-Chief of Russia’s National Guard Troops. He is a member of Russia’s Security Council.
10. DMITRY SHUGAEV is a senior leader of the Russian Ministry of Defense who is the Director of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation.
11. ALEXANDER MIKHEEVis the Director General of Rosoboronexport, which is Russia’s state-controlled intermediary that carries out foreign trade with respect to military goods. Mikheev has been involved in synchronizing the supplies of weapons and special equipment using the Russian Ministry of Defense’s capabilities; has served as a member of an organizing committee led by Russia’s Minister of Defense of a Russian Ministry of Defense-organized military-focused forum; and has served on a delegation led by Russia’s Minister of Defense.

These persons will be added to the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons and all property and interests in property of the individuals above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).  In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.  All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt.  These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.