Brussels, 29/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 29 October, the Council of the EU put a 4-month suspension on the restrictive measures against 170 people (assets freezes and visa bans) and three entities (assets freezes) in Belarus (see EUROPE 11409).
The Council said in a press release that the decision was taken in response to the release of the last political prisoners on 22 August, and in the context of improving EU-Belarus relations. “Through the suspension of most restrictive measures, the EU has reacted to this progress, encouraging further positive development that would lead to an improvement of EU-Belarus relations”, the Council stated.
The restrictive measures against the people and entities were due to expire on 31 October 2015. The Council has therefore prolonged theses measures for four months - in other words, until 29 February 2016 - and at the same time suspended them for 170 people and three entities. Four people involved in unresolved disappearances remain subject to sanctions.
The Council also updated the list of people and entities to take account of recent case law.
The decision was adopted by written procedure and the legal acts will be published in the Official Journal on Friday 30 October. They will come into force on Saturday 31 October.
The EU will continue to follow the situation of democracy and human rights in Belarus closely, the Council stated. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)