Sanctions against Belarus
Background to the sanctions
In September 2004, the Council of the European Union decided to impose travel restrictions on certain officials in Belarus who were suspected of being involved in the disappearances of four people in 1999 and 2000. In December of the same year, the measures were extended to cover persons responsible for irregularities and serious human rights violations, in the form of attacks on peaceful demonstrators, during the parliamentary elections and referendum in the country in October 2004.
After the presidential elections in Belarus in March 2006, the Council of the European Union decided to also impose a visa ban on the Belarusian leaders and officials, including President Lukashenko, who were responsible for not complying with international electoral standards and for the crackdown on civil society and the democratic opposition. In May of the same year, the EU also decided to freeze the assets of a large number of Belarusian officials.
To encourage reforms and facilitate the EU´s critical dialogue with Belarus - and following the release of the last internationally recognised political detainees - the EU foreign ministers decided in October 2008 to suspend the travel restrictions on a number of Belarusian representatives, including President Lukashenko, for six months. However, this suspension did not apply to the persons suspected of having been involved in the political disappearances in 1999 and 2000, nor did it apply to the chair of the Belarusian Central Electoral Commission. The suspension, which was combined with an engagement policy aimed at promoting democratic reforms, was subsequently extended on several occasions. In October 2010, the travel restrictions, like the suspension, were extended to 31 October 2011 through Council Decision 2010/639/CFSP.
On 19 December 2010 presidential elections were held in Belarus, and came under strong criticism from the OSCE´s election observation mission. The elections were followed by demonstrations, which were brutally crushed during election night by the Belarusian authorities. Over 600 people were detained, including seven presidential candidates. The utterly disproportionate violence used against the opposition, independent media and representatives of civil society was strongly condemned by the international community.
As a result of the elections and subsequent developments, the EU decided to carry out a review of its policy towards Belarus. On 31 January 2011 the Council of the European Union decided, through Council Decision 2011/69/CFSP, to revoke the suspension of travel restrictions for all persons on the list and impose targeted travel restrictions and the freezing of assets against a number of persons responsible for electoral fraud and reprisals against the opposition in connection with the presidential elections of 2010.
On 21 March and 23 May 2011, the Council took a decision to expand the list of persons covered by the travel restrictions to include approximately two hundred people. The new names include judges and others responsible for the show trials held during the spring of 2011. On 10 June, the EU decided to impose an arms embargo against Belarus and also imposed sanctions against certain companies.
The restrictive measures and the list of persons and entities covered by them are open for revisions in the event that the situation in Belarus improves or deteriorates. On 10 October 2011 it was decided to extend the restrictive measures until 31 October 2012, and to broaden the restrictive measures to cover additional persons and entities. A total of over two hundred people are covered by the sanctions.
