Belarusian Authorities file a complaint for US to UN

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Belarus has sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, informing him that the U.S. had imposed sanctions against the leadership of the country. The Belarusian authorities warn that their retaliatory steps would be “harsh”. As we have informed, the reason for sanctions against the Belarusian regime is political prisoners in Belarusian prisons.

As the UN news service reported yesterday, the Permanent Mission of Belarus to the UN has sent a letter to the Secretary General, asking to publish as an official document of the UN General Assembly the statement by Foreign Ministry of Belarus on imposing “additional economic restrictive measures” against Belneftekhim concern by the US.

“The Belarusian side states that Belarus’ retaliatory steps would be harsh. The US side was informed about these steps earlier,” the Belarusian Foreign Ministry wrote.

On November 13, 2007 the US Administration imposed sanctions against the Belarusian state-run concern “Belneftekhim”. The US Treasury froze accounts of the concern and its branches in Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and China, and Belneftekhim USA branch.

On March 7, 2008 the US Treasury, explaining the sanctions against Belneftekhim imposed in autumn 2007, in fact expanded their application to all Belarusian enterprises of petrochemical complex in which the state in which the state owns, directly or indirectly, a 50% or greater interest.

Before this Guidance was published, sanctions affected only branches of the concern and a number of its foreign subsidiaries.

After that the Belarusian authorities recommended the US Ambassador leave the country after sanctions were imposed by the U.S. Department of State against Belneftekhim concern. Belarus has also recalled Belarusian Ambassador to the U.S. Mikhail Khvastou to Minsk for consultations.

The reason for imposing sanctions by the U.S. is a refusal of the Belarusian regime to release political prisoners. Today a former candidate for presidency in Belarus Alyaksandr Kazulin, a young leader Andrei Kim and a leader of entrepreneurs Andrei Parsyukevich are still staying imprisoned.