Borrell: work begins on EU sanctions for violence in Belarus
19:00
The EU does not accept the election results in Belarus. Work on sanctions for those responsible for violence and counterfeiting begins, wrote the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell on Twitter.
During videoconferences, EU foreign ministers gave the go-ahead on Friday to start work on individual sanctions against Belarus on the grounds of violence and repression.
The European External Action Service is to prepare proposals for individual sanctions. The list will have to be approved by the Council of the EU. In this case, unanimity is needed. Discussions on this subject are to be held in working groups in the coming days.
The list would include Belarusian officials and officials who, according to the EU, are responsible for violence and repression against Belarusian citizens, as well as for the rigging of elections. They would be banned from entering the EU as well as freezing assets in the EU.
Earlier, on Friday, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter that the sanctions are needed against those people who have broken democratic values or violated human rights in Belarus
"I am convinced that today's discussion of EU foreign ministers will demonstrate our strong support for the rights of Belarusian citizens to fundamental freedoms and to democracy," added von der Leyen.
