Canada Hits Belarus With Economic Sanctions For Gross Human Rights Violations

On September 29, 2020, the Canadian Government announced the imposition of sanctions on various officials of the government of Belarus (the "Belarus Sanctions") effective immediately. The Belarus Sanctions are Canada's response to the Belarus government's violent and sustained crack-down on opposition leaders and civilians protesting the results of Belarus' fraudulent presidential election on August 9, 2020.

Those doing business abroad, especially involving Belarus or the surrounding region, should be carefully reviewing the new measures to ensure that their business activities remain in full compliance. In particular, these list-based measures targeting individuals and the property they own or control are another reminder of the importance of identifying and screening those who own or control, directly or indirectly, your customers, suppliers, service providers, and other counterparties and business partners.