The US Department of the Treasury on September 19 imposed sanctions on Belarus' Belzneshpramservice (Belvneshpromservice or BVPS), accusing the state-owned arms trading and maintenance company of supporting the "Assad regime’s efforts to procure arms and communications equipment that contribute to the regime’s violence against the Syrian people."
In particular, the Treasury Department prohibited US government organizations and private entities from doing business with the company and ordered its US-based bank accounts frozen. In its statement, the Treasury Department said that the Belarusian company was targeted by sanctions for providing services to Syria’s Army Supply Bureau. "In March 2011, Syria’s Army Supply Bureau prepared to receive possible fuses for general purpose aerial bombs from BVPS. Aerial bombs were used by the Syrian military as recently as July 2012, in an aerial bombardment of Aleppo as part of a coordinated assault by government forces to intimidate opposition forces," the statement said.
According to the Treasury Department, the Belarusian company was sanctioned by the US Department of State, pursuant to the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act in December 2011.
"Today’s actions seek to disrupt the flow of weapons and communications equipment to the Syrian regime and help prevent their use against the Syrian people," said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.
