US to Strengthen Sanctions on Lukashenka’s Officials

The USA is to strengthen sanctions on Lukashenka’s Belarus until its authorities start abiding by democratic norms. According to the ITAR-TASS that was declared by official representative of the US Department of State Sean McCormack.

According to him, Washington ‘calls on the Belarusian authorities to release all prisoners held on politically motivated charges, and to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Belarus’. ‘Belarusians are paying a severe price for exercising the basic rights that are taken for granted in democratic societies’, remarked Sean McCormack.

The US Department of State Spokesman stressed that ‘Belarusian authorities have stepped up intimidation of their citizens’. He also mentioned a recent arrest of the opposition politician Andrei Klimau for publishing the material on the Internet criticizing the Lukashenka regime as well as politically motivated trials of Young Front members. Calling those actions peaceful Sean McCormack stresses that ‘political parties planning to take part in elections next year have been threatened with deregistration’.