The United States was joined by Britain in imposing penalties against state-owned companies. The chairman of the Belarusian Olympic committee is the eldest son of Mr. Lukashenko. The Biden administration had committed to reimposing sanctions on Belarus in May after Mr. Lukashenko forced the landing of a European passenger jet, a Ryanair Boeing 737. The plane was traveling through Belarusian airspace, from Greece to Lithuania, when it was diverted and forced to land in Minsk, the capital, with an escort from a fighter jet. A Swiss email provider has said that the email cited by the Belarusian authorities was sent after the plane had already been diverted.

Source: New York Times August 09, 2021 20:26 UTC