EU set to broaden criteria for imposing sanctions on Belarusian officials
The European Union's foreign ministers agreed at their meeting
on Monday to broaden the criteria for imposing "restrictive measures" on
Belarusian persons and entities in response to human rights abuse and
the persecution of the government's political opponents.
"The
paves the way for future designations of those responsible for serious
human rights violations or the repression of civil society and the
democratic opposition or supporting or benefiting from the Lukashenka
regime," said the press office of the Council of the European Union
following the meeting.
"Decisions to add persons and entities to
the list of those targeted can be taken in the wake of this Council
decision," the press office said.
Gunnar Wiegand, of the EU’s
European External Action Service, said earlier this month that the EU
considered adding 135 more people to the bloc’s existing travel ban and
asset-freeze list that currently targets more than 200 Belarusians.
He expressed hope that the EU member states would reach agreement on the matter in the next few weeks.
On
January 31, 2011, the EU Council imposed asset freezes and travel bans
on 156 Belarusian government officials and other individuals for their
role in “the violations of international electoral standards” in the
December 14-19, 2010 presidential election and a post-election crackdown
on civil society and pro-democratic supporters. The Council blacklisted
19 more Belarusians in March, 13 in May, four in June and 16 in
October, placing on the list mostly judges and prosecutors involved in
the prosecution of post-election protesters. In December, it added the
judge and the prosecutor in the trial of prominent human rights defender
Ales Byalyatski to the list.