⁍ The United States, Britain and Canada plan to impose sanctions on Belarusian individuals.

---

⁍ The sources said the sanctions aimed to show there would be consequences for the disputed election.

---

– The United States, Britain, and Canada plan to impose sanctions on Belarusian individuals following what they view as a rigged election on Aug. 9 and violence against peaceful protesters since, six sources familiar with the matter tell Reuters. Four of the sources, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US, British, and Canadian sanctions could come as early as Friday, though this could slip given the challenge of coordinating among three nations. The sources said the sanctions aimed to show there would be consequences for the disputed election and the treatment of protesters in Belarus, a former Soviet state where President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled for 26 years. Lukashenko, whose forces have detained or driven out all of Belarus’ leading opposition figures, arrested thousands of protesters and clamped down on news reporting, was abruptly sworn in for a sixth term on Wednesday. The European Union said Lukashenko was not the legitimate president of Belarus, and that his abrupt swearing-in had gone directly against the will of the people.