In a move that signals ongoing concern for the national security and foreign policy of the United States, President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has extended the national emergency to Belarus, initially declared in 2006. According to The White House statement on June 13, confirming the continuation of sanctions and restrictions against certain members of the Belarusian government and others deemed to be undermining democratic processes and committing human rights abuses in the Eastern European nation.
The national emergency was first established by Executive Order 13405 under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, in response to the "unusual and extraordinary threat" posed by the actions and policies of individuals within the Belarusian government. As per the White House statement, this measure came after the "fundamentally undemocratic March 2006 elections" and was further expanded in scope in 2021 under Executive Order 14038 following the August 9, 2020, Belarusian presidential election, which was widely viewed as fraudulent.
The latest announcement cites the continuous threat from the Belarusian regime's suppression of democracy and the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The administration's decision complies with section 202(d) of the National Emergenciesр Act, which necessitates yearly reassessment and renewal of such emergencies to remain effective.
President Biden's decision to extend the emergency status reinforces the United States' stance on the situation in Belarus. “The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons, and the Belarusian regime’s harmful activities and long-standing abuses, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," the President stated in a notice that is set to be published in the Federal Register, stated by The White House. For this reason, the emergency declared in Executive Order 13405, which was expanded in scope in Executive Order 14038, must continue in effect beyond June 16, 2024,” the notice reads.
