BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

10/04/2006

EU Bars Belarus President, Top Officials

By ROBERT WIELAARD

LUXEMBOURG - The European Union on Monday barred Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and dozens of his senior officials from entering any bloc countries to protest his re-election last month in a vote that international observers said was rigged.

The measure, approved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, also was meant to punish the country's leadership for cracking down on the opposition and its supporters. They said further steps - such as freezing the assets of the Belarusian leadership - remain possible.

They urged Lukashenko "not to penalize or discriminate against those exercising their right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, including the leaders of the opposition parties."

Milinkevich, who held talks with lawmakers at the EU assembly last week, had called for hundreds of officials to be put on the visa blacklist.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said the move "sends a strong message" the EU is targeting the Belarus leadership, not its people.

Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Swoboda said he wanted more Belarus officials on the list.

Swoboda said the EU ban should have included more officials from the national state television and radio broadcaster, which he said plays a key role in ensuring there are no opposition media broadcasts.

Besides Lukashenko, the list included his ministers of justice, information and education; the chair of the Belarus lower house of parliament; the chair and his deputy of the Belarus KGB state security service; eight election commission officials; the head of the state broadcaster; and three judges.

The foreign ministers did not act on a demand by the European Parliament to stop recognizing Lukashenko as president.

Source:

http://localnewsleader.com/jackson/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=173487

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