18.11.2009 President of European Parliament: “It’s last chance for Lukashenka”

“If we see no concrete progress on the way to democratization, then the process of the EU rapprochement with Belarus should be stopped,” Jerzy Buzek stated.

In this way the president of the European Parliament commented on the decision of the Council of Europe to extend visa sanctions against Belarusian officials till October 2010 and at the same time “freeze” them.

“It must be the last chance for Lukashenka’s regime,” Jerzy Buzek is quoted by the Polish Radio as saying.

Earlier the president of the European Parliament stated that “the progress in Belarus is really very little, and we are highly concerned that there is no pronounced democratization”.

17.11.2009 EU to extend freeze on sanctions against Belarusian officials

The European Union is expected to prolong the freeze on its sanctions against Alyaksandr Lukashenka and other Belarusian officials next week but not lift the threat entirely due to a lack of progress on political reform, reported Reuters with reference to a draft statement seen on Thursday, BelaPAN said.

In October 2008, the European Union suspended for six months its travel ban against Alyaksandr Lukashenka and 35 other Belarusian officials. The suspension of the sanctions was extended for another nine months this past March to encourage the Belarusian government to carry out "further concrete measures towards democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The draft statement due to be approved by the EU foreign ministers during their meeting in Brussels next Monday and Tuesday said that the suspension would be extended until October 2010 to encourage further changes, according to the report.

06.11.2009 Andrei Pachobut: ‘The authorities use the police and the KGB to make people refuse from membership in the Union of Poles. They are testing the reaction of the West.’

In November the EU will consider the issue on re-imposing the sanctions against the Belarusian authorities. One of the conditions put to the official Minsk by the international community is securing the rights and freedoms of the Belarusian citizens belonging to national minorities. This condition was introduced on the initiative of Poland and is a result of the complicated situation around the Union of Poles in Belarus, headed by Anzhalika Borys.

08.10.2009 Statkevich summonsed to own security department of MIA

On 6 October the coordinator of the European coalition Mikalai Statkevich was summonsed to the security bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The politician believes he was not the only person to be summonsed there, as the case of the beating of the participants of the 16 September action in Minsk is being investigated. However, he is convinced the police hold the investigation not to restore the justice. ‘It is done for Europe, with the hope that the sanctions will be lifted, after which they would be able to do such things with complete impunity’, commented Statkevich.

17.03.2009 Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg expresses his concern about recent facts of human rights violations in Belarus

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, commented on the decision concerning the EU sanctions against Belarus, following a meeting of EU foreign ministers on 16 March: ‘We have agreed that the European Union should continue its engagements in Belarus and supporting the positive events in the country. Therefore, we have agreed to prolong visa sanctions suspension for several Belarusian officials for another 9 months.

16.04.2008 CE wants sanctions against Belarus

CE PACE approved the resolution on abuse of power in Belarusian criminal justice. The resolution calls upon Belarus to declare a moratorium concerning the use of death penalty in the country, and stop utilizing article 193.1 of the Criminal Code – criminal persecution for social activity.

08.04.2008 New EU sanctions against Belarusian authorities

The Council of the European Union has extended sanctions against Belarusian officials. Sanctions envisage restrictions for entering the EU territory by Belarusian officials including Alexander Lukashenka, and freezing of their bank accounts. Sanctions were extended after the disbandment of a peaceful rally on Freedom Day in Minsk, and mass crackdown on independent journalists.

21.09.2007 President of PACE: «Dialog with Belarus is impossible without discharge of political prisoners»

President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Rene van der Linden declared that Europe is ready “to start up a dialog with the Belarusian authorities again”.