Belarus sanctions: 16 added to list

Summary#

The final rule titled Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations adds 16 people and companies to Canada’s Belarus sanctions list. The changes took effect when the instrument was registered on August 8, 2024 and were published in the Canada Gazette on August 28, 2024.

What it does#

• Adds 16 named individuals and entities to the Schedule of the Special Economic Measures (Belarus) Regulations. The additions include people tied to the Belarusian judiciary, senior government officials, defence-related companies, a state-owned enterprise, and a family member of the president.
• Prohibits anyone in Canada, and any Canadian outside Canada, from dealing with the listed people or entities. That means no transactions, no providing services, and no transfers of property to them.
• Makes the newly listed people inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• Requires financial institutions and others to screen for the new listings. The names will be added to the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List.
• Enforcement powers include the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency. Penalties for knowingly breaking the rules include a fine of up to $25,000, imprisonment of up to one year on summary conviction, or up to five years on indictment.

Who's affected#

• The 16 newly listed persons and entities in Belarus. (The Gazette lists them by name and identifies their roles; the summary above describes the main categories.)
• Canadian businesses, banks, and other organizations that might have had dealings with those named. They must stop prohibited dealings and may need to update compliance checks.
• People applying for travel or immigration to Canada from the listed individuals — those persons will be inadmissible.
• Most ordinary Canadians and Canadian firms are unlikely to feel big effects, because trade and financial links with the newly listed Belarusian individuals and entities appear limited.

Why it matters#

• This is Canada’s tool to punish and discourage behaviour Ottawa says is linked to human rights abuses in Belarus and to Belarus’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
• For affected individuals and companies, the measures restrict access to Canadian money, services and travel to Canada.
• For Canadian businesses and banks, the change is a compliance obligation: they must block dealings and report or freeze assets if applicable.
• The government says the changes are targeted and should have limited broader economic impact on Canadians because the added people and entities have few links with Canada.