EU extends sanctions

The European Union is considering a question on adding new names to the list of Belarusian officials subject to the travel ban.

BelaPAN news agency has learned this from Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, who commented on the initiative by the Office for a Democratic Belarus (Brussels) on revising the blacklist.

Kocijancic stressed the ball was in the court of the Belarusian authorities, who should release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and then the EU demonstrate an appropriate reaction.

We remind that today’s statement by the Office for a Democratic Belarus says: “Given that considering economic sanctions is a longer process, there are Belarusian organisations and individuals who believe that revising the list of Belarusian officials under the visa ban may facilitate an earlier release of the of the remaining political prisoners.”