- Programme
- Belarus
- Designated
- Not published by this authority
- Legal basis
- Ordinance of 16 March 2022 on measures against Belarus (SR 946.231.116.9), article 12 (Financial sanctions) and 25 para. 1 (Travelban), annexe 13
- Stated grounds
- In his former position as Commander of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, Ihar Holub was responsible for the decision taken by the Command of the Air Forces and Air Defence Forces, on Lukashenka’s instructions, to dispatch military aircraft to escort the forced landing of passenger flight FR4978 in Minsk airport without proper justification on 23 May 2021. This politically motivated decision 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. Following the incident, Ihar Holub gave press statements together with Belarusian Ministry of Transport Aviation Department Director Artem Sikorsky justifying the actions of the Belarusian aviation authorities. He is therefore responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in Belarus, and is supporting the Lukashenka regime. He remains active in the Lukashenka regime as the Director of the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Belarus.
- Source
- Switzerland SECO Sanctions List
- Last confirmed
- 19 Oct 2026