Sanctions on Lukashenka’s regime extended but “frozen”

The European Union Council decided to prolong visa sanctions on official Minsk for a year until October 2010. The sanctions are, however, “frozen” till October.

The decision was adopted without a special discussion. As Radio Svaboda reports, the conclusion suggests that Minsk should start negotiations on visa facilitation between the EU and Belarus and offers an opportunity to start negotiations on signing a bilateral agreement on partnership and cooperation. A proposal for a joint interim plan to set priorities for reforms in Belarus was made.

The conclusion notes that the Council may decide to reapply or lift travel restrictions at any time, in light of actions by the Belarusian authorities in the sphere of democracy and human rights.

The Council regrets the recent lack of significant progress in addressing its concerns in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including as regards the crackdown on peaceful political actions and the continued denial of registration of many political parties, non-governmental organizations and independent media.

The Council calls on Minsk to reform the electoral legislation and respect human rights, in particular, stop persecuting of political activists and independent mass media. Brussels also urges Belarus to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty.

Visa restrictions were first imposed in 2004 on four Belarusian officials, whose number increased up to 41 persons by 2006.

The EU Foreign Ministers suspended visa bans for 36 persons on this list in October 2008. The suspension wasn’t extended to five people, suspected by Europe of their involvement in political disappearances in 1999–2000 (former ministers of interior affairs Yury Sivakou and Uladzimir Navumau, former Security Council State Secretary Viktar Sheiman and commander of special task group Dzmitry Paulichenka) and head of the Central Election Commission Lidziya Yarmoshyna for rigging the results of elections and referendums.

Brussels extended the sanctions for a year on March 16, 2009, but suspended them for nine months and declared all restrictive measures could be lifted.

Brussels set five priority areas Belarus should demonstrate progress in: reforming the electoral legislation, providing freedom of association, creating conditions for activity of non-governmental organizations, freedom of press, personal freedom.