Europe ready to impose new economic sanctions

The European Union can impose new economic sanctions against Minsk. The list of sanctions has already been prepared.

Coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign Zmitser Bnadarenka, who had a spine surgery on July 27, can become permanently disabled if sent to prison just after the discharge from hospital.

This opinion was expressed by a Polish neurology consultant appointed by Polish Minister of Health Ewa Kopacz at the request of MEP Jacek Protasiewicz, Regnum information agency reports.

Protasiewicz said that Polish neurologist Tomasz Trojanowski made a conclusion on the basis of the medical documents provided by Bandarenka's family. “On the ground of this conclusion we will demand the Belarusian authorities not to send Bandarenka to a penal colony or a labour camp, because any labour can lead to his disability,” he said in an interview to Polskie Radio.

Asked how this goal may be achieved, Jacek Protasiwwicz noted the most vulnerable question for Belarus was economic sanctions. “I will talk to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, who holds presidency of the EU Council now, about special attention that should be paid to Bandarenka's issue and about the treatment of prisoner that should influence a decision on possible extending economic sanctions. The list of entities that may be affected by sanctions has already been prepared by ministers based on diplomatic and intelligence data. It is a question of only political decisions,” he said.

Zmitser Bandarenka, sentenced to two years in a penal colony in the case of the December 19 events, has back problems – spinal disc herniation and trapped spinal nerves. He was taken from the detention facility to the republican prison hospital, where he was offered to undergo an operation without a consultation with a neurosurgeon or to return to prison. Zmitser Bandarenka chose an operation, which was carried out on July 26. The Polish MFA and the European Parliament President condemned the actions by the Belarusian authorities calling them “inhuman”.