COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2025/385

| Official Journal of the European Union | EN L series ---|---|--- * * * | 2025/385 | 25.2.2025 ---|---|--- COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2025/385 of 24 February 2025 amending Decision 2012/642/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Whereas: (1) | On 15 October 2012, the Council adopted Decision 2012/642/CFSP (1). ---|--- (2) | On the basis of a review of Decision 2012/642/CFSP, and considering the persistent gravity of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the illegal aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, it is appropriate to maintain in force all the measures adopted by the Union. Consequently, Decision 2012/642/CFSP should be renewed until 28 February 2026. ---|--- (3) | The statements of reasons and identifying information for 10 natural and two legal persons included in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in Annex I to Decision 2012/642/CFSP should be amended. ---|--- (4) | It is appropriate to introduce a technical amendment in Article 3, in order to align the listing criteria in Articles 3 and 4. ---|--- (5) | Decision 2012/642/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly, ---|--- HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Decision 2012/642/CFSP is amended as follows: (1) | Article 3, paragraph 1 is amended as follows: | (a) | in point (b) the word ‘or’ is deleted; ---|--- (b) | the following points are added: | ‘(d) | are facilitating infringements of the prohibition against circumvention of the provisions of this Decision or otherwise significantly frustrating those provisions; or ---|--- (e) | are natural persons associated with persons referred to in points (b), (c) or (d).’ ---|--- ; (2) | in Article 8, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. This Decision shall apply until 28 February 2026.’ ; ---|--- (3) | Annex I is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision. ---|--- Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Done at Brussels, 24 February 2025. For the Council The President K. KALLAS * * * (1) Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP of 15 October 2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine (OJ L 285, 17.10.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2012/642/oj). * * * ANNEX Annex I to Decision 2012/642/CFSP is amended as follows: (1) | Table ‘A. Natural persons referred to in Articles 3(1) and 4(1)’ is amended as follows: | (a) | the following duplicate entry is deleted: | ‘251. | Iryna Vladimirovna PADKAVYRAVA’; ---|--- (b) | the entry concerning the following deceased person is deleted: | ‘30. | Uladzimir Viktaravich KALACH’; ---|--- (c) | entries 26, 108, 112, 125, 166, 195, 196, 258, 260, 261 are replaced by the following: | | Names (Transliteration of Belarusian spelling) (Transliteration of Russian spelling) | Names (Belarusian spelling) (Russian spelling) | Identifying information | Reasons for listing | Date of listing ---|---|---|---|---|--- ‘26. | Ivan Yurievich SAKALOUSKI Ivan Yurievich SOKOLOVSKI | Iван Юр’евіч САКАЛОЎСКI Иван Юрьевич СОКОЛОВСКИЙ | Position(s): Director of the Akrestina detention centre, Minsk DOB: 17.11.1979 Gender: male | In his capacity as Director of the Akrestina detention centre in Minsk, Ivan Sakalouski is responsible for the inhumane and degrading treatment, including torture, inflicted on citizens detained in that detention centre in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. | 2.10.2020 108. | Sviatlana, Anatoleuna LYUBETSKAYA Svetlana Anatolevna LYUBETSKAYA | Святлана Анатольеўна ЛЮБЕЦКАЯ Светлана Анатольевна ЛЮБЕЦКАЯ | Position(s): Judge in the Constitutional Court of Belarus, former member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, former Chairperson of the Standing Commission on Law DOB: 3.6.1971 POB: USSR (now Ukraine) Gender: female Nationality: Belarusian | In her former position as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Commission on Law, Sviatlana Lyubetskaya was responsible for the adoption of the new Code of Administrative Infringements (entered into force on 1 March 2021) that authorises arbitrary arrests and imposed increased liability for participation in mass events, including for display of political symbols. Through these legislative activities, she is responsible for serious violations of human rights, including the right of peaceful assembly, and the repression of civil society and democratic opposition. These legislative activities also seriously undermine democracy and the rule of law in Belarus. She remains active in the Lukashenko regime as a judge in the Constitutional Court, appointed by Alexander Lukashenko. | 21.6.2021 112. | Siarhei Aliaksandravich GUSACHENKA Sergey Alexandrovich GUSACHENKO | Сяргей Аляксандравiч ГУСАЧЭНКА Сергей Александрович ГУСАЧЕНКО | Position(s): First Deputy Chairman of the National State Television and Radio Company (Belteleradio Company) DOB: 5.11.1983 POB: Minsk, USSR (now Belarus) Gender: male Nationality: Belarusian Tel. (office): + 375 (17) 369-90-15 | In his position as the First Deputy Chairman of Belteleradio Company (the National State Television and Radio Company), author and host of weekly propaganda television show “Glavnyy efir”, Siarhei Gusachenka has been willingly providing the Belarusian public with false information about the outcome of elections, protests, repressions perpetrated by the state authorities and activities of the Lukashenka regime that facilitate illegal crossing of the external borders of the Union. He is directly responsible for the way in which the state television presents information about the situation in the country, thus lending support to the authorities including Lukashenka. He is therefore supporting the Lukashenka regime. | 21.6.2021 125. | Mikhail Saferbakovich GUTSERIEV | Микаил (Михаил) Сафарбекович ГУЦЕРИЕВ | Position(s): Businessman, shareholder and chairman of the board of executives of Slavkali, chairman of the board of directors and shareholder of: JSC Mospromstroi, Industrial Financial Group Safmar JSC, LLC Proekt Grad Member of the board of directors and shareholder of JSC NKNeftisa DOB: 9.3.1958 POB: Akmolinsk, USSR (now Kazakhstan) Gender: male Nationality: Russian | Mikhail Gutseriev is a prominent Russian businessman, with business interests in Belarus in the sectors of energy, potash, hospitality and others. He is a long-time acquaintance of Aliaksandr Lukashenka and thanks to that association has accumulated significant wealth and influence among the political elite in Belarus. Safmar, a company which has been controlled by Gutseriev, was the only Russian oil firm that carried on supplying oil to Belarusian refineries during the energy crisis between Belarus and Russia in early 2020. Gutseriev also supported Lukashenka in disputes with Russia over oil deliveries. Gutseriev has been the chairman of the board of directors of, and a shareholder in, the Slavkali company, which is building the Nezhinsky potassium chloride mining and processing plant based on the Starobinsky potash salt deposit near Lyuban. It is the largest investment in Belarus, worth USD 2 billion. Lukashenka promised to rename the town of Lyuban “Gutserievsk” in his honour. His other businesses in Belarus have included fuelling stations and oil depots, a hotel, a business centre and an airport terminal in Minsk. Lukashenka also thanked Gutseriev for his financial contributions to charity and investments worth billions of dollars in Belarus. Gutseriev also declared himself to be the owner of a residency which de facto belongs to Lukashenka, thus covering him up when journalists started to investigate Lukashenka’s assets. Gutseriev attended Lukashenka’s secret inauguration on 23 September 2020. In October 2020 Lukashenka and Gutseriev both appeared at the opening of an orthodox church, which the latter sponsored. Gutseriev assisted with the acquisition of CT scanners for Belarus during the COVID-19 crisis. Mikhail Gutseriev is therefore benefitting from and supporting the Lukashenka regime. | 21.6.2021 166. | Aleh Siarheevich HAIDUKEVICH Oleg Sergeevich GAIDUKEVICH | Алег Сяргеевіч ГАЙДУКЕВIЧ Олег Сергеевич ГАЙДУКЕВИЧ | Position(s): Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on International Affairs in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, member of the delegation of the National Assembly for contacts with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus DOB: 26.3.1977 POB: Minsk, USSR (now Belarus) Gender: male Nationality: Belarusian Personal identification: 3260377A081PB9 Passport number: MP2663333 | Aleh Haidukevich is the Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on International Affairs in the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, and member of the delegation of the National Assembly for contacts with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He made public statements, applauding diverting passenger flight FR4978 to Minsk on 23 May 2021. This politically motivated decision was done without proper justification and was aimed at arresting and detaining opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich and Sofia Sapega and is a form of repression against civil society and democratic opposition in Belarus. Additionally, Aleh Haidukevich made public statements suggesting that Belarusian opposition leaders may be detained abroad and transported to Belarus “in a car trunk”, thus supporting the ongoing crackdown of security forces on Belarusian democratic opposition and journalists. Aleh Haidukevich is the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party of Belarus, which supports Lukashenka. He is therefore supporting the Lukashenka regime. | 21.6.2021 195. | Ivan Ivanavich GALAVATYI Ivan Ivanovich GOLOVATY | Iван Iванавiч ГАЛАВАТЫ Иван Иванович ГОЛОВАТЫЙ | Position(s): Former Director-General of the Open Joint Stock Company “Belaruskali”, Chairman of the supervisory board of JSC Belarussian Potash Company, First Deputy Director of Nedra Nezhin Member of the Standing Committee of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus for Foreign Affairs and National Security DOB: 15.6.1976 POB: Pogost Settlement, Soligorsk District, Minsk Province, Belarus Gender: male Nationality: Belarusian | Ivan Galavatyi is the former director general of the state-owned enterprise Belaruskali, which is a major source of revenue and foreign currency for the Lukashenka regime. He is a former member of the Council of the Republic and the National Assembly. He also holds multiple other high positions in Belarus and he has received multiple state awards, including from Lukashenka, during his career. He has been closely associated with Lukashenka and members of his family. Aliaksandr Lukashenka has proposed that Ivan Golovaty be sent to work as an ambassador to one of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. He is therefore benefitting from and supporting the Lukashenka regime. As the former director general of Belaruskali, Ivan Galavatyi was directly involved in the Lukashenka regime’s relocation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories in collaboration with Russia. Therefore, Ivan Galavatyi supports the Lukashenka regime. He remains active in the Lukashenka regime as the First Deputy Director of Nedra Nezhin, a company reported to be a successor to Slavkali, a major potash producer in Belarus. The employees of OJSC “Belaruskali” who took part in strikes and peaceful protests in the aftermath of the fraudulent presidential elections of August 2020 in Belarus, were deprived of premiums and laid off. Alexander Lukashenka himself personally threatened to replace the strikers with miners from Ukraine. Therefore, as the head of Belaruskali, Ivan Galavatyi is responsible for the repression of civil society. | 3.6.2022 196. | Aliaksandr Uladzimirovich KARNIENKA Alexander Vladimirovich KORNIENKO | Аляксандр Уладзiмiравiч КАРНIЕНКА Александр Владимирович КОРНИЕНКО | Position(s): Former head of the Penal Colony IK-17 Shklov, Lieutenant Colonel of the Internal Service District Inspector, Department of Internal Affairs of the Slutsk District Executive Committee DOB: 9.1.1979 Gender: male Nationality: Belarusian | In his position as former head of Penal Colony IK-17 in Shklov, Aliaksandr Karnienka was responsible for the inhuman and degrading treatment, including torture, inflicted on the political prisoners and other citizens detained in that penal colony in the wake of the 2020 presidential election and the ensuing peaceful protests. He was the head of the penal colony at the time of the death of the political prisoner Vitold Ashurak in that penal colony on 21 May 2021, in unexplained circumstances. He is therefore responsible for serious violations of human rights and the repression of civil society in Belarus. He remains active in the Lukashenka regime as an official of the Slutsk District Executive Committee. | 3.8.2023 258. | Viktar Arkadzievich SHAUTSOU Viktor Arkadievich CHEVTSOV/ SHEVTSOV | Вiктар Аркадзьевiч ШАЎЦОЎ Виктор Аркадьевич ШЕВЦОВ | Position(s): Businessman, investor DOB: 5.12.1963 POB: Razumava village, Vitebsk region, Belarus Nationality: Belarusian Gender: male Passport number: MP4572331, issued on 12.2.2021 Personal ID: 3051263A036PB7 | Viktar Shautsou is a businessman with business interests in Belarus. In his role as honorary consul of the Philippines in Belarus, he is supporting the Lukashenka regime. Furthermore, he is benefitting from the regime, through his involvement in Reshenie Bank, which in turn has interests in and is involved in the Dudutki museum complex, which is benefitting from the Belarussian state budget. Therefore, Viktar Shautsou is supporting and benefitting from the Lukashenka regime. | 5.8.2024 260. | Anton Genadzevich DUDAL Anton Gennadievich DUDAL | Антон Генадзевіч ДУДАЛЬ Антон Геннадьевич ДУДАЛЬ | Position(s):Former judge of the court of the Bobruisk region and the city of Bobruisk, Chairman of the Kirovsky District Court Nationality: Belarusian DOB: 11.8.1986 Gender: male Personal ID: 3110886M079PB3 | Anton Dudal was a judge who served in the court of the Bobruisk district and the city of Bobruisk. He was appointed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka in 2019. He has issued politically motivated sentences, including against citizens of Belarus who voiced their opinions against the President. He sentenced a citizen for acting in self-defence against law-enforcement brutality. He transferred Andrey Sachevko to prison in Mahiliou. Anton Dudal is therefore responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition. He remains active in the Lukashenka regime as the Chairman of Kirovsky District Court. | 5.8.2024 261. | Mikalai Vasilievich SIARHEEVICH Nikolai Vasilievich SERGEEVICH | Мікалай Васільевіч СЯРГЕЕВIЧ Николай Васильевич СЕРГЕЕВИЧ | Position(s): Former judge of the Zhlobinsky District Court of the Gomel Region, Chairman of the Chechersky District Court Nationality: Belarusian DOB: 22.8.1983 Gender: male Personal ID: 3220883H026PB7 | Mikalai Siarheevich was a Belarusian judge who served in the Zhlobinsky District Court of the Gomel Region He was appointed by Aliaksandr Lukashenka. He has issued politically motivated sentences against citizens of Belarus who voiced their opinions against the fraudulent presidential elections of 2020, including participants in the Zhlobin protests. Mikalai Siarheevich is therefore responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition. He remains active in the Lukashenka regime as the Chairman of Chechersky District Court. | 5.8.2024’ (2) | in Table ‘B. Legal persons, entities or bodies referred to in Article 4(1)’ entries 13 and 27 are replaced by the following: | | Names (Transliteration of Belarusian spelling) (Transliteration of Russian spelling) | Names (Belarusian spelling) (Russian spelling) | Identifying information | Reasons for listing | Date of listing ---|---|---|---|---|--- ‘13. | Minskii Avtomobilnyi Zavod (MAZ) / OJSC “MAZ” Open Joint Stock Company “Minsk Automobile Works” – Management Company of “BELAVTOMAZ” Holding | ААТ “Мiнскi аўтамабiльны завод” ОАО “Минский автомобильный завод” | Address: Socialisticheskaya 2, 220021 Minsk, Belarus Website: http://maz.by/ Date of registration: 16.7.1944 Tel.: + 375 (17) 217-22-22; + 8000 217-22-22 | OJSC Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) is one of the biggest state-owned automotive manufacturers in Belarus. Lukashenka described it as “one of the most important industrial enterprises of the country”. It is a source of revenue for the Lukashenka regime. OJSC MAZ has offered its premises and equipment to stage a political rally in support of the regime. Furthermore, in the light of the involvement of Belarus in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, MAZ delivers military trucks to the Russian Army, which are also deployed in the Ukrainian territory for military actions. Therefore, OJSC MAZ benefits from and supports the Lukashenka regime. Employees of OJSC MAZ who took part in strikes and peaceful protests in the aftermath of fraudulent elections of August 2020 in Belarus were intimidated and later laid off by the company’s management. A group of employees was locked indoors by OJSC MAZ to prevent them from joining the other protesters. Therefore, OJSC MAZ is responsible for the repression of civil society and supports the Lukashenka regime. | 21.6.2021 27. | Open Joint Stock Company “Belshina” | AAT “Белшина” ОАО “Белшина” | Address: 4 Minskoe Shosse St., 213824 Bobruisk, Belarus Date of registration: 10.1.1994 Registration number: 700016217 Website: http://www.belshinajsc.by/ | OJSC Belshina is one of the leading state-owned companies in Belarus and a large manufacturer of vehicle tyres. In the years 2022 and 2023 it had a profitability of 9 %, as confirmed by the Belarusian deputy prime minister Petr Parkhomczyk. The Belarusian State is directly profiting from the earnings made by Belshina. Furthermore, Belshina is supplying tires to the Russian military deployed in Ukraine, supporting the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, Belshina is supporting the Lukashenka regime. Employees of Belshina who protested and went on strike in the wake of the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus were dismissed and forced to resign, under the pretence of absenteeism. Additionally, political prisoners are forced by the State to perform hazardous labour for the benefit of Belshina. Moreover, Belshina receives state aid in the form of payment of debts and deferment in the payment of import VAT. Furthermore, state bodies are allowed by the Belarusian government to purchase Belshina products without a tender. Belshina is therefore benefitting from the Lukashenka regime and it is responsible for the repression of civil society. | 2.12.2021’ * * * ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/385/oj ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition) * * *