{"id":23978,"date":"2011-06-20T15:06:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-20T14:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.indexoncensorship.org\/?p=23978"},"modified":"2016-10-06T11:14:04","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T10:14:04","slug":"europe-puts-pressure-on-belarus-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indexoncensorship.org\/newsite02may\/?p=23978","title":{"rendered":"Europe puts pressure on Belarus regime"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a> European Union places sanctions on Belarusian companies, individuals after Index on Censorship campaign<\/strong>
\n
\nAt a meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg today, European governments agreed unanimously to target sanctions at at least three Belarusian companies.<\/p>\n

The move comes after a letter to Britain’s foreign secretary Willam Hague, co-ordinated by Index on Censorship along with Sir Tom Stoppard, the Anglo-Belarusian Committee, the Association of Belarusians in Great Britain, the Belarus Free Theatre and Free Belarus Now, called for targeted sanctions against Lukashenko\u2019s regime and its associates.<\/p>\n

Mike Harris of Index on Censorship commented today: \u201cWe wrote to the Foreign Secretary asking him to commit the EU to targeted sanctions against the regime\u2019s cronies, so we\u2019re delighted by these steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cLukashenko may try to fool the EU with empty promises of reform as his country\u2019s economy worsens, but there must be no deal as long as his people\u2019s rights are denied and his jails still hold prisoners of conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

UPDATE: Jerome Taylor<\/a> of the Independent has supplied a list of the companies and individuals targetted
\n<\/strong>
\nThree Belarus companies: BelTechExport, Sport-Pari (runs a lucrative lottery) and Private Unitary Enterprise BT Telecommunications<\/p>\n

New individuals also added to Belarus travel ban list include…<\/p>\n

Andrey Kazheunikau — Public prosecutor of the case against ex-presidential candidate Vladimir Neklyaev
\nLiudmila Grachova — Judge who convicted ex-presidential candidates Nikolai Statkevich, Dmitri Uss
\nKiril Chubkavets — Public prosecutor of the cases against ex-presidential candidates Nikolai Statkevich and Dmitri Uss
\nVladimir Peftiev — “Luka’s banker”, chief economic advisor to Belarus president and key financial sponsor of the regime<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read Index’s letter below<\/em><\/p>\n

Rt Hon William Hague Letter 02.06.11<\/a>