Two surnames added the list of Belarusian officials, banned entering the EU

On December 16, the European Council approved the extension of sanctions against Belarus in response to the persecution of the opposition and civil society.

"The Council added two persons, involved in the trial over human rights activist Ales Byalyatski, in the list of those who have frozen assets, and who are banned entering the EU", the press service of the European Council informs, not mentioning the names of these people.

Thus, the EU decided to strengthen the "restrictive measures" against "those responsible for the ongoing crackdown on civil society, political opposition and independent media in Belarus".

We remind, on November 24, Piershamaiski District Court of Minsk returned the human rights defender Ales Byalyatski guilty of concealing income in a large scale, and sentenced to four and a half years of imprisonment in a medium security colony with confiscation of property.

The process was led by judge Sergei Bondarenko. The state prosecution was represented by prosecutor Vladimir Saykovsky.

On November 16, at a press conference in Minsk, Leszek Sherepka, ambassador of Poland, presiding in the EU, reported that the European Union is considering to introduce new names of Belarusian officials to the list of banned entry.

We remind, the political decision on defrosting the visa and economic sanctions against Belarus was adopted by the EU Council on 31 January in Brussels, when the foreign ministers of EU countries approved the list of Belarusian officials responsible for human rights violations during the presidential campaign. These persons are not allowed to attend the EU territory, and their accounts and assets in the EU should be frozen. Initially, there were 158 names in the list. Subsequently, the EU Council repeatedly extended the list.