European Union to impose more sanctions on Belarus

EUROPEAN STATES are cranking up pressure on Belarus'sauthoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko as he grapples with themost severe economic crisis of his 17-year rule.

The European Union is expected to impose further sanctions onBelarusian businesses next week. And the Organisation for Securityand Co-operation in Europe - the world's largest regional securityorganisation - has issued a scathing report on Mr Lukashenko'scrackdown on opponents following his allegedly rigged re-electionlast December.

This comes as the man the United States once dubbed "Europe'slast dictator" faces growing public protest over an economic slide.The turmoil has stripped the rouble currency of more than one-thirdof its value, sent interest rates and the prices of staple goodsspiralling and triggered bouts of panic buying.

Mr Lukashenko, the former state farm boss who portrays himself asthe guarantor of Belarusian stability and independence, has beenforced to seek emergency funding from the International MonetaryFund and Russia. But both are imposing tough conditions on any help.

Belarus will become more isolated when the EU freezes the assetsof at least one firm, but probably several on Monday. It may alsolengthen a list of the president's allies who are barred fromtravelling to the EU. Washington last week extended similarsanctions against the country of almost 10 million people.

Some analysts blame the economic crisis on Mr Lukashenko's publicspending before last year's election, which sparked street protestsfrom critics who said it was rigged. Riot police dispersed protestsand arrested hundreds, including some opposition leaders who weresubsequently jailed.

"The fact-finding mission indicates the seriousness, duration andscale of gross and systematic human rights violations since theevents of December 19th," the regional security organisation siad inits report on the post-election trouble. "This concerns not only along list of individual cases of great concern, as 'politicaldetainees', but a system of social control, by fear, harassment,torture and blackmail, phone tapping, false evidence and forcedconfessions."

Belarus refused to co-operate with the fact-finding mission fromthe regional security organisation, which the Republic will chairnext year. Russia is offering to help Mr Lukashenko but wants him tosell key industrial assets to Russian businessmen in return. The IMFhas encouraged Minsk to liberalise its economy.

"They are already . . . snapping their teeth, waiting for us tofall," Mr Lukashenko said yesterday of western nations, whileblaming journalists for fuelling the crisis and denouncingprotesters who are co-ordinating actions online.

"Now they are using slightly new methods to try and shake upBelarus - including . . . that trash called the internet. This is anew approach honed in certain countries," he said.

Mr Lukashenko has said he would monitor opposition socialnetworks and "hit them so hard they won't even have time to escapeacross the border".