Tengrinews.kz - The European Union has expanded sanctions against Belarus due to the internal situation in the country, according to Deutsche Welle.
The EU Council has decided to add 26 individuals and two legal entities to its blacklist, according to the organization's website.
The sanctions target judges who issued convictions in political cases, as well as the leadership of prisons and detention centers where "a number of political prisoners face inhumane conditions and are subject to abuses," the statement said.
Additionally, the sanctions include owners and executives of several companies that benefit from state privileges and facilitate the circumvention of EU sanctions.
Among the entities targeted is the transport and logistics company Vlate Logistik and its owners, which operate two border checkpoints between Belarus and the EU. Another company, the freight carrier Ruzekspeditsiya, was also sanctioned for allegedly facilitating the delivery of vehicles from the EU to Belarus, which is prohibited under EU sanctions.
"The EU stands in solidarity with the Belarusian people and unwaveringly supports their aspiration for a free, democratic, sovereign, and independent Belarus as part of a peaceful Europe," the EU Council emphasized.
In total, the EU sanctions against Belarus now apply to 287 individuals and 39 legal entities.
Earlier, it was reported that Romania and Bulgaria will become full members of the Schengen Area.
