EU targets Belarus officials, media reps with fresh sanctions for human rights violations

The European Union has imposed sanctions on 28 individuals, including representatives from law enforcement, the judiciary, and media in Belarus. Irina Akulovich, Director General of the state-run BelTA news agency, is among those sanctioned.

"The Council today decided to adopt additional prohibitive measures against 28 individuals," Caliber.Az reports, citing a statement from the EU Council.

The EU accuses these individuals of supporting "internal repression" and "human rights violations".

The sanctions list includes Nikita Rachilovsky, host of the TV program “Senate” on the STV channel and chairman of the Youth Parliament at the National Assembly of Belarus, as well as Dmitry Zhuk, editor-in-chief of the Presidential Administration's publishing house Belarus Today. The sanctions also target two deputy heads of the Main Department for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption at the Interior Ministry, along with several judges, prosecutors, and correctional institution leaders.

These sanctions take effect immediately upon publication.