Brussels, 30/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 29 October, the Council of the EU decided to extend the EU's restrictive measures against Belarus until 31 October 2014 (see EUROPE 10710). This extension, for which the legal acts were adopted by written procedure, came into force with its publication in the Official Journal on 30 October.
The extension of the sanctions thus means that 232 people - responsible for serious human rights violations, for repression of civil society and the democratic opposition, for undermining democracy and the rule of law, or for benefitting from the support of President Viktor Lukashenko's regime or supporting it - remain subject to visa bans or a freeze on their assets in the EU. Additionally, 25 entities also remain subject to an assets freeze. While three people have been added to the list of people targeted by the restrictive measures, 13 have been removed from it, along with five entities, because the Council believed there was no longer any reason to keep them there.
The suspension of the visa ban on Belarus' Minister for Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makey remains in force (see EUROPE 10873).
Since June 2011, the EU has also imposed an embargo on weapons and materials that could be used for internal repression.
The Council decided to extend the measures against Belarus because “not all political prisoners have been released, no released prisoner has been rehabilitated, and the respect for human rights, the rule of law and democratic principles has not improved”, a press release from the Council states. The press release also states that the EU maintains its “policy of critical engagement” with Belarus.