The U.S. Treasury Department has frozen the U.S. assets of Lakokraska OAO, Polotsk Steklovolokno OAO and the Belarusian Oil Trade House, which are all controlled by the oil company Belneftekhim, according to Bloomberg News.
The move is aimed at increasing the financial pressure on the government of President Alexander Lukashenko. U.S. citizens are prohibited from doing business with the companies, the Treasury said in a statement.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called Lukashenko's rule in Belarus ``Europe's last dictatorship'' because of his crackdown on political opponents. The Treasury sanctioned Belneftekhim in November because of Lukashenko's control of the company.
The designation today was made under an executive order allowing for sanctions against ``individuals or entities
that are responsible for undermining, or have participated in actions that undermine, democratic processes or institutions in Belarus,'' the Treasury said. Individuals and entities tied to ``human rights abuses'' and ``corruption'' also are subject to the U.S. penalties, it said.
The row over the sanctions prompted the former Soviet republic to expel 10 U.S. diplomats on April 30, according to Bloomberg.
