Belarus Sanctions: 17 Individuals, 5 Entities

Summary#

These are final rules that add people and companies to Canada’s sanctions list for Belarus. The Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations add 17 individuals and 5 entities, and they came into force on registration (June 17, 2021) and were published in the Canada Gazette on July 7, 2021.

What it does#

• Adds 17 named individuals and 5 named entities to the schedule of the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations.
  • The five entities added are Belaeronavigatsia Republican Unitary Air Navigation Services Enterprise, Belarusski Avtomobilnyi Zavod BelAZ (Belarusian Automobile Plant), Bremino Group, Novaya Neftenaya Kompaniya (New Oil Company), and Minski Avtomobilnyi Zavod MAZ (Minsk Automobile Plant).
• Makes it illegal for people in Canada, and Canadians abroad, to:
  • deal in property owned or controlled by those listed persons or entities;
  • facilitate transactions related to such property;
  • provide financial services connected to those dealings; or
  • supply goods to listed persons or entities.
• Declares listed individuals inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (as applied by these Regulations).
• Allows the Minister of Foreign Affairs to issue permits (under the related Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Permit Authorization Order) that let specific transactions go ahead despite the sanctions.
• Sets enforcement and penalties under the Special Economic Measures Act: a person who willfully breaks the rules can face a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment for up to one year on summary conviction, or up to five years on indictment. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency enforce the rules.

Who's affected#

• The 17 individuals newly listed (the Gazette lists them by name). Examples include Viktor Gennadyevich Khrenin and several other senior figures named in the notice.
• The five companies and state-linked entities noted above, which are now subject to the restrictions.
• Canadian banks and other financial institutions, which must update screening systems and refuse prohibited transactions.
• Canadian businesses and people who might have dealings with the named persons or entities. The government says it is unlikely many Canadian businesses deal with these new entries, so direct economic impact in Canada is expected to be limited.
• Listed individuals: being on the list can mean frozen assets in Canada and being denied entry to Canada.

Why it matters#

• These sanctions are meant to increase pressure on the Belarusian government over reported human rights violations and attacks on opposition and independent media.
• For real people and companies, the practical effects are clear: blocked transactions, potential freezes on assets in Canada, and travel bans to Canada for listed individuals.
• For Canadian banks and firms, the rules require updated screening and compliance steps. The government says costs should be small because business links to the newly listed names are likely limited.
• The measures are part of coordinated international steps; they signal Canada’s stance and add legal tools to respond if the targeted behaviour continues.