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EU places arms embargo on Belarus

The Council of the European Union decided on Monday to impose an arms embargo on Belarus amid its deep concern at the “deteriorating human rights, democracy and rule of law situation” in the country, BelaPAN said.

The embargo will target Belarus’ trade in “arms and materials that might be used for internal repression,” the Council said in its Conclusions issued following its June 20 meeting in Luxembourg.

The Council also decided to add more people to the EU`s list of designated Belarusians subject to its restrictive measures and freeze the assets of three companies linked to the Lukashenka regime. The Conclusions, however, do not specify either the persons or the companies.

“The EU strongly condemns the detention, trials and sentencing on political grounds of representatives of civil society, the independent media and the political opposition, including former presidential candidates, Nyaklyayew, Rymashewski, Sannikaw, Statkevich and Uss in the aftermath of 19 December 2010 Presidential elections,” the Conclusions read. “The EU reiterates its calls for the immediate release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners. It underscores its deep concern at reports of torture and other forms of ill-treatment in Belarusian prisons, and urges the authorities to respect international commitments endorsed by Belarus.”

The Council also deplores closure suits filed by the information ministry against the independent newspapers Nasha Niva and Narodnaya Volya, the trial of journalist Andrzej Poczobut and the cancellation of the license of the private radio station Avtoradio.

It welcomes the UN Human Rights Council’s June 17 resolution on Belarus and reiterates its regret at the lack of cooperation on the part of Belarus in the framework of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.

“The Council agrees that the extension of European Investment Bank operations to Belarus should only proceed if and when the EU is able to give a sufficiently positive assessment of the human rights and rule of law situation,” the Conclusions say. “The Council welcomes the outcome of the recent European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Country Strategy Update, which implies a recalibrating of EBRD assistance away from the Belarusian central authorities in favour of non-state and local actors implementing projects in areas which benefit the population at large.”

The Council reiterates its strong commitment to strengthening engagement with the Belarusian people and civil society. “It welcomes that the EU assistance strategy towards Belarus has been revised in order to further strengthen support to civil society and that the EU’s special assistance package is reaching full implementation speed, providing notably support to repressed individuals, NGOs, media and students,” the Conclusions say.

“The EU stands ready to consider further targeted measures in all areas of cooperation, as appropriate,” the Conclusions add.