EU: The European Union yesterday banned Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko and 30 ministers, prosecutors and regional election officials from entering the 25-nation bloc.
EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, said they had sanctioned them for allegedly rigging Belarus's March 19th presidential polls and for a crackdown on opposition activists.
The EU did not freeze the assets of the banned individuals for now but warned it may do so later, possibly as early as next month, and asked the executive European Commission to propose further targeted measures.
"We should impose that kind of measure in the future," Czech foreign minister Cyril Svoboda told reporters about asset freezes, stressing the importance of exerting permanent pressure on what critics call the "last dictatorship in Europe".
The foreign ministers vowed to help Belarussian civil society, including by enabling students to come and study in the EU and by enhancing access to independent media.
Mr Lukashenko, sworn in on Saturday, was number one on the visa-ban list, followed by his head of presidential administration, Gennady Nevyglas; the ministers of education, information and justice; the chairman of the lower house of parliament and the head of the KGB security service.
Others named include the prosecutor general and several judges and prosecutors.
Belarus dismissed the visa ban and threatened to take similar measures against top EU officials. "The European Union and the United States cannot alter the choice made by the Belarussian people," the foreign ministry said in Minsk.
"Belarus finds itself obliged to take appropriate retaliatory measures against the EU and the United States. In accordance with international practice, they will affect similar categories of persons."
Alexander Milinkevich, the nearest rival to Mr Lukashenko in the election, who led days of unprecedented protests, argued against economic sanctions as harmful to the national interest, but he restated his backing for a broad extension on visa bans.
Mr Milinkevich said the list should extend to local election officials who colluded in vote-rigging, judges who sentenced hundreds of demonstrators in the aftermath of the election and factory bosses who sacked employees for taking part in protests.