Name
Leanid Mikalaevich Churo
Year of birth
1956
Source
UK - Sanctions List
Type
Individual
Aliases
Privacy Request
Additional Information
Regime: Belarus
(UK Sanctions List Ref):BEL0098. (UK Statement of Reasons):In his position as Director General of Belaeronavigatsia Republican Unitary Air Navigation Services Enterprise, Leanid Churo is responsible for Belarusian air traffic control. He therefore bears responsibility for the order to intercept passenger flight FR4978 and compel its landing at Minsk airport, without proper justification, on 23 May 2021. In doing so, he acted on the direction of Alexander Lukashenko and in conjunction with the Belarusian defence forces. This resulted in the forced redirection of flight FR4978, the detention of the aircraft, its passengers and the crew, and the arrest of opposition journalist and civil society actor Roman Protasevich and Protasevich’s partner Sofia Sapega. This politically-motivated decision was aimed at arresting and detaining opposition journalist Protasevich and Sapega and constitutes a form of repression against civil society and democratic opposition in Belarus. Churo is therefore responsible for the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in Belarus and so undermined democracy and the rule of law there. (Gender):Male