EU set to sanction Syria, Iran, Belarus this week
(BRUSSELS) - European Union foreign ministers will consider slapping fresh sanctions this week against Syria, Iran and Belarus as the bloc ramps up its drive to stop human rights abuse.
EU officials said ministers who gather in Brussels from late Thursday were expected to add 18 Iranians "responsible for serious human rights violations" to a blacklist of 61 people already under an EU travel ban and asset freeze.
A ban is also likely against exporting equipment that could be used to monitor or intercept Internet and phone communications in Iran, said officials working on the measures who asked not to be identified.
On Syria, ministers will look "at adding a few more names" to a blacklist of around 150 firms and people already targeted in 12 previous rounds of European sanctions, an EU official said.
An EU diplomat said members of the 27-nation bloc were agreed on adding 12 people and two companies to the list but that no joint move was expected on closing EU embassies in Damascus unless the situation deteriorated.
Six of the 19 EU nations with embassies in Syria have left -- Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain -- while the EU has offered space in its delegation to any EU member wanting to close its premises but leave officials behind.
The EU last month slapped a freeze on Syria's central bank while also banning trade in gold and precious metals and cargo flights to the EU operated by Syrians.
The situation in Syria and Iran will top talks on Friday between the foreign ministers and Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, who is also expected to brief his colleagues on Istanbul's view of the Middle East peace process.
European nations meanwhile are continuing talks on new sanctions against Belarus to force the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko "to free and rehabilitate all political prisoners," said a senior EU official.
A source said sanctions being considered targeted 29 firms and 12 people, nine of them involved in the judiciary.
Some 230 people are already blacklisted over the continuing repression by Lukashenko's regime of civil society, the political opposition and the independent media.