European Parliament to ban Belarusian authorities from entering EU

The European Parliament has drawn up a draft resolution urging
European leaders to impose an entry ban and asset freeze on the
Belarusian officials responsible for a crackdown on the opposition
after recent disputed polls, RIA Novosti reports.

The document will be voted on by European lawmakers later on Thursday.
The sanctions would affect the Belarusian authorities, possibly
including President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as court and
security officials

More than 600 people, including opposition candidates, journalists and
human rights activists, were detained during opposition rallies
following the December 19 polls, which saw Lukashenko elected for a
fourth term.

Several presidential candidates still remain in custody at the KGB
pre-trial detention center in Minsk.

Sanctions against the officials should remain in place until all those
detained during the opposition protests are freed from jails and
cleared of charges, the draft resolution says.

European MPs also welcomed a decision by the Polish government and the
Lithuanian parliament to impose a travel ban on top Belarusian
officials allegedly responsible for the crackdown and ease entry
regulations for ordinary Belarusians.

The document also calls for EU leaders to review their policies
towards Belarus, including a possible introduction of economic
sanctions and a freeze on financial aide to the Belarusian government,
proposing instead to provide help to civil society groups and
organizations.

The draft resolution also suggests that Belarus should be deprived of
its right to host international sports competitions, such as an
ice-hockey championship scheduled for 2014, until all the political
prisoners are freed.