The permanent representatives of the EU member states on Wednesday, 4 November, agreed on the start of the procedure for launching sanctions, which will affect high-ranking Belarusian officials and Alexander Lukashenko, various sources report.
TASS, citing a source in the Council of the EU, reports that the permanent representatives of the EU members have decided to expand restrictive measures against the Belarusian leadership, including Alexander Lukashenko: it will be officially approved and will come into force in the coming days.
RIA Novosti also reports that the official procedure for issuing a sanctions list has been launched, which will enter into force on 6 November. At the same time, Radio Liberty journalist Rikard Jozwiak said on Twitter that the sanctions will affect 14 Belarusian officials, including Alexander Lukashenko.
EU ambassadors just gave green light to impose asset freezes and visa bans on #Lukashenko + 14 other Belarusians. Will be published in the EU official journal on Fri. #Belarus
— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) November 4, 2020
Recall that on 2 October, the EU published a list of 40 Belarusian officials – security leadership (representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB) and members of the CEC, against whom personal sanctions were imposed, including a ban on entry into the EU and freezing of assets available within the jurisdiction.
Then Alexander Lukashenko was not included in the sanctions list, “since this would undermine the demand of Brussels to engage in a dialogue with the opposition through the mediation of the OSCE and to release political prisoners.”
Shortly afterwards, the EU Council in its statement expressed its readiness to introduce new restrictive measures against organizations and high-ranking Belarusian officials, including Alexander Lukashenko, if the situation in the country does not improve.