The punitive measures target 21 current and former senior government figures, including members of the security forces, public prosecutors, and members of the judiciary system, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“These individuals have been involved or complicit in arbitrary arrests and detentions, brutality, intimidation, and excessive use of force against Belarusians who protested the fraudulent elections,” the press release stated.

Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenko has repeatedly accused the West of trying to topple him after mass protests against his rule erupted in 2020 following the election. Lukashenko said he had won fairly while conducting a sweeping crackdown on his opponents.

Canada has so far announced 14 rounds of sanctions against a total of 211 individuals and 71 entities in Belarus.

Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly is due to meet exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya this week in Ottawa.