The United States has introduced sanctions against Belarusian citizens who, according to the State Department, were involved in the "transnational repression" of Belarusian athletes abroad.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the move targets "multiple Belarusian nationals for their involvement in serious, extraterritorial counter-dissident activity," without identifying the individuals affected by the sanctions.
"The United States condemns all such activity, including the attempt to forcibly repatriate Belarusian Olympian Krystsina Tsimanouskaya during the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games last year," says the statement, which was dated February 3.
Tsimanouskaya’s ordeal is one of the most high-profile cases of Belarusian officials targeting athletes when Olympic team managers tried to force the sprinter to fly home from the Tokyo Games after she criticized them on social media.
She took refuge in the Polish Embassy in Tokyo after refusing the order and two days later boarded a plane to Europe, reaching Warsaw, where she now lives in exile.
Authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has directed an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Belarus since a disputed presidential election in August 2020 that he claimed to win. Thousands of people have been detained for protesting the outcome, which opposition leaders say was rigged, while many have left the country fearing for their security.
"This action is part of a comprehensive effort to prevent and respond to acts of transnational repression by any government targeting journalists, activists, and dissidents for abuse, bringing together diplomatic, law enforcement, and intelligence tools to deter repressive governments and protect targeted individuals and groups, including within the United States," the U.S. statement said.
It added that Washington continues to support the people of Belarus "and once again calls on the Lukashenka regime to end its crackdown on members of civil society, independent media, the political opposition, athletes, students, legal professionals, and other Belarusians."
The statement comes hours before the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, which run from February 4 to February 20.
