EU slaps new sanctions on Belarus

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union slapped new sanctions Monday against Belarus in protest against continuing repression by President Alexander Lukashenko's regime.

European affairs ministers meeting in Brussels agreed an assets freeze and visa ban against 21 senior officials -- 19 magistrates and two highly-placed police officers -- deemed involved in moves to stifle the opposition.

Their identities will be released later.

The 19 will be added to 210 people already black-listed over the continuing repression by Lukashenko's regime of civil society, the political opposition, and the independent media.

However diplomats said a move to include Belarus oligarch Yuri Chizh, the owner of the Dinamo Minsk football club close to Lukashenko, was dropped on objections from Slovenia, with whom he recently signed major construction deals.

The EU in the past has also frozen the assets of three entities linked to the regime while exports to Belarus of arms and materials that might be used for internal repression are prohibited.

The latest measures against Belarus were taken in December following the controversial trial of human rights campaigner Ales Beliatsky.

He is the leader of the banned "Vyasna" (Spring) human rights group and a leading opponent of Lukashenko, who has the ruled ex-Soviet republic since 1994.