EU imposes sanctions on Alyaksandr Lukashenka, other officials over 'ongoing repression’

On November 6, the Council of the European Union added 15 members of the Belarusian authorities, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka, as well as his son and national security adviser Viktar Lukashenka, to the list of individuals sanctioned in relation to the violent repression and intimidation of peaceful demonstrators, opposition members and journalists after the 2020 presidential election in Belarus.

Restrictive measures, which now apply to a total of 59 individuals, include a travel ban and an asset freeze. In addition, EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds available to those listed.

“Today’s decision follows up on the conclusions adopted by the Council on 12 October 2020 on the EU’s response to the developments in Belarus, in which the Council strongly condemned the violence employed by the Belarusian authorities against peaceful protesters and stated the EU’s readiness to take further restrictive measures against entities and high-ranking officials, including Alyaksandr Lukashenka,” the statement reads.

In mid September, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that the European Union considered the elections on August, 9 fraudulent and could not recognise Lukashenka as the legitimate President of Belarus.

During the EU Council summit on October 2, European Union leaders agreed to impose sanctions on 44 Belarusian officials over the vote rigging and post-election police violence in the country. However, the name of Alyaksandr Lukashenka was not added to the sanctions list then. Top EU official Charles Michel put down such decision to the bloc’s desire to organise a dialogue between the incumbent authorities and the protesters in Belarus.

belsat.eu, via consilium.europa.eu