Does EU contemplate imposing tougher sanctions?
- 27.02.2012, 11:58
Mass media inform that the EU postpones a decision on extending the black list of Belarusian officials to whom entry is banned.
On February 27 foreign ministers of the EU countries are to gather to discuss the situation in Syria, Egypt, South Caucasus, Kosovo, as well as the situation in the Near East. As Euroradio has found out, “the Belarusian issue” is not on the agenda.
“In the case of Belarus we deal with restrictive measures. The decision on extending criteria, on which a person could be blacklisted, was adopted in January. Now the EU member countries are elaborating definitions and means for additional pressure on the Belarusian authorities. However, at the moment this work is still continued. That is why I cannot say to you exactly when it is to be finished,” said the spokesperson of the EU High Representative Maja Kocijancic.
Charter97.org has asked the former political prisoner, a coordinator of “European Belarus: civil campaign Alyaksandr Atroshchankau to comment on this decision.
“When the EU representative Gunnar Wiegand visited Minsk, he said directly that the officials whom he met at Lukashenka’s administration, gave it to understand that in the next few weeks some emblematic political prisoners, including presidential candidates, would be released. I said openly then that I do not believe in that, as if the regime had set itself up for a dialogue, all political prisoners would have been released much earlier. The practice has shown that a week after that visit, quick stepping up, and not moderation of repressions took place. Before the issue of imposing new visa sanctions was considered, a harsh sentence was passed upon Syarhei Kavalenka. The regime has cynically demonstrated contempt to the hand extended by Europe. I think that delaying consideration of the issue regarding the sanctions against the regime’s henchmen could have been caused by the fact that the Europeans have finally realized in which language they should talk to Lukashenka: he does not understand good words and symbolic actions,” Alyaksandr Atroshchankau said.