EU takes first step to impose new sanctions on Belarus

The European Union on Friday took the first step to impose new sanctions on Belarus over a disputed election last Sunday and a crackdown on protests that followed, instructing its foreign policy arm to prepare a blacklist of responsible individuals.

President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory but now faces the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule, with tens of thousands protesting for a sixth day running on Friday and opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya calling for a recount of the votes.

“EU will now initiate a process of sanctions against those responsible for the violence, arrests and fraud in connection with the election,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde said after emergency talks among all her EU peers on Friday.

The EU first imposed sanctions on Belarus in 2004. It tightened them in 2011 over abuses of human rights and democratic standards, including vote rigging.

Many were lifted after Lukashenko released political prisoners in 2016. But an arms embargo remains, as do sanctions on four people over the unresolved disappearances of two opposition activists, a journalist and a businessman, years ago.

Lukashenko denies electoral fraud. His government freed many detained demonstrators on Friday after issuing a rare public apology. However, citizens took to the streets again on Friday after at least two protesters were killed and thousands detained in a violent crackdown this week.

“What happened in Belarus in the last few days is completely unacceptable and calls for a clear reaction of the EU,” Germany’s Haiko Maas told reporters.

Maas called on the Belarus government to release political prisoners and review the official election result, which gave Lukashenko 80%, triggering protests in which security forces beat demonstrators and arrested several thousand people.

(c) Reuters

News.Az

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