US announces sanctions on Belarus over journalist’s detention

The Biden administration announced it would re-impose sanctions against nine Belarusian state-owned enterprises and is developing additional penalties to target officials in the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko over the forced landing of a Ryanair Holdings Plc jetliner and the arrest of a dissident journalist.

The administration has also issued a "Do Not Travel” warning to American citizens urging them to steer clear of Belarus, and issued a notice to American pilots to "exercise extreme caution” when considering flying in Belarusian airspace, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Friday night. The Treasury Department is also crafting an executive order that will "provide the United States increased authorities to impose sanctions on elements of the Lukashenko regime, its support network, and those that support corruption, the abuse of human rights, and attacks on democracy,” Psaki said.