The United States, Britain and Canada plan to impose sanctions on Belarusian individuals following what they view as a rigged election on August 9 and violence against peaceful protesters since, six sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Four of the sources, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US, British and Canadian sanctions could come as early as on Friday, though this could slip given the challenge of co-ordinating among three nations.
The sources said the sanctions aimed to show there would be consequences for the disputed election and the treatment of protesters in Belarus, a former Soviet state where President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled for 26 years.
Belarus is already facing significant international pressure after an opposition leader was "snatched" off the streets in the wake of the election.
Lukashenko, whose forces have detained or driven out all of Belarus's leading opposition figures, arrested thousands of protesters and clamped down on news reporting, was abruptly sworn in for a sixth term on Wednesday.
On September 1, a senior US State Department official told Reuters the United States was considering imposing sanctions on seven Belarusians who it believes were involved in falsifying the results of the election and in violence against protesters.
One of the six sources said the number was now eight Belarusians, but could change.
The US State Department and the Canadian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told parliament on Thursday that Britain was preparing sanctions against those responsible for serious human rights violations in Belarus and coordinating with the United States and Canada "as a matter of urgency".
The European Union said Mr Lukashenko was not the legitimate president of Belarus, and that his abrupt swearing-in had gone directly against the will of the people.
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 640hp
Torque: 760nm
On sale: 2026
Price: Not announced yet
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch
