EU imposing sanctions on Belarus’ Lukashenko: Sources

The European Union (EU) has reportedly launched a procedure to impose sanctions on Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, his son, and more than a dozen other individuals over allegations that they were involved in a crackdown on opposition rallies.

Envoys from the 27 member states of the EU gave the green light to ban visas and freeze the assets of Belarus’ incumbent president, his son Victor, who is an acting national security advisor, and 13 other individuals, AFP quoted unnamed diplomatic sources in Brussels as saying on Thursday.

The sources further said that the proposed sanctions were now pending confirmation in the bloc’s official journal by Friday.

Belarus has been in turmoil since Lukashenko won the presidential election on August 9, with the opposition rejecting the official results and alleging voter fraud. The United States and the EU have repeated the allegation, rejecting Lukashenko’s re-election.

Anti-government protests have been staged in the country ever since, and some reports say hundreds have been arrested.

Opposition figure Sviatlana Tikhanouskaya, who fled to Lithuania following the election, had set a deadline of October 25 for Lukashenko to resign, but the president’s ignoring of the ultimatum sparked further protests and a strike.

The EU had already imposed sanctions against 60 Belarusian individuals, claiming that they had had roles in alleged vote-rigging and a purported crackdown on anti-government protests.

But Lukashenko himself had not until now been targeted with sanctions by the EU. The bloc had said it hoped to convince him to hold a dialog with the opposition to defuse the crisis. But in mid-October, top EU diplomats gave the go-ahead in principle to take action against Lukashenko, saying he had not fulfilled their hope.

Belarus protesters defy police warnings, rally in Minsk again

Belarusian protesters take to the streets in the capital Minsk to call for the resignation of President Lukashenko.

The sanctions decision, as seen by AFP, alleges that the Belarusian president “is responsible for the violent repression by the state apparatus before and after the 2020 presidential election.”

EU envoys also blamed Lukashenko for the alleged exclusion of important opposition candidates from the August election. They also blamed the 66-year-old leader for “arbitrary arrests and the ill-treatment of peaceful demonstrators, as well as intimidation and violence against journalists.”

There was no immediate reaction from the Belarusian government.

But Minsk has formerly rejected the allegations of voter fraud and crackdown on protesters. Lukashenko has also said that he does not care about the Western countries’ refusal to recognize his re-election.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk