US hits Belarusian officials with travel bans for crackdown

US secretary of state announces sanctions on 43 Belarusian nationals hours after two journalists are sentenced.

The United States on Thursday imposed travel restrictions on 43 Belarusian nationals identified as taking part in President Alexander Lukashenko’s “crackdown” on protesters and journalists. The US action was announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement that followed the sentencing Thursday of two journalists who had livestreamed a enormous protest in Minsk in November. Katsiaryna Bakhvalava, age 27, and Daria Chultsova, 23, both of the Polish-funded Belsat TV channel were sentenced to two years in prison covering the protest.