BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/04/2006

EU bans visas for Belarus leaders

European foreign ministers have extended a visa ban on Belarus officials to include President Alexander Lukashenko and 30 others.

Mr Lukashenko was sworn in for a third term in office on Saturday, weeks after his contentious election win.

His election victory was criticised by international observers as being neither free nor fair.

EU officials say further steps remain possible, such as a freezing of assets of the Belarussian leadership.

The visa ban means Mr Lukashenko and the 30 ministers, prosecutors and election officials cannot enter EU countries.

The president was returned to office for a third term with 83% of the vote on 19 March, but the OSCE, Europe's main election monitoring body, said the elections were "severely flawed".

The result sparked demonstrations in October Square in the capital, Minsk, and hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested.

Mr Lukashenko has accused the West of waging a crusade to drown his country in the chaos of anarchy.

Source:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4895264.stm