EU sanctions Belarusian president Lukashenko

ANKARA

The European Union on Friday added Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 14 other officials on its sanction list for “ongoing repression".

“The Council today added 15 members of the Belarusian authorities, including Alexandr Lukashenko as well as his son and National Security Adviser Viktor Lukashenko, 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,” said an EU statement.

The restrictive measures include a travel ban, an asset freeze, and forbidding EU citizens and companies from making funds available to those listed.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab welcomed the EU decision in a tweet. “The UK imposed Magnitsky sanctions on Belarus, including on Lukashenko, at the end of September. I am pleased to see the EU now adopting similar sanctions. We are committed to holding those who violate human rights to account.”

On Oct. 12, the bloc said Lukashenko will be added to its sanctions list, if the situation in the country does not improve.

Belarus has been rocked by mass protests since Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet nation for over 26 years, was reelected to a sixth term in the Aug. 9 election his opponents say was rigged.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who now lives in exile in Lithuania, was Lukashenko's main challenger.

Both the US and EU have rejected the presidential election, and imposed sanctions against top Belarusian officials for their role in vote manipulation and a crackdown on protesters.

The veteran president relies on ally Russia for political and economic support.