The European Union is to slap sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko along with 14 officials for domestic repression after a contested election, diplomatic sources have told dpa.
The restrictive measures are to be implemented on Friday once the 27 EU states finalize the procedure in writing, according to the sources. Member state representatives agreed the move on Wednesday.
The Belarusian leader was initially spared inclusion in EU asset freezes and travel bans imposed on 40 people last month in response to a crackdown on protesters.
There have been mass protests against Lukashenko every weekend in Minsk for nearly three months, following a presidential election that protesters alleged was rigged.
Lukashenko, 66, has led Belarus, a former Soviet republic between Russia and EU member state Poland, for more than a quarter of a century, tolerating little dissent.
The EU has denounced the August 9 election as “neither free nor fair” and refused to recognize Lukashenko as the current president.
EU foreign ministers agreed in October to add his name to the bloc’s black list if no improvement was seen in Belarus.