EU agrees on new sanctions against Belarus and Syria

  • 2012-03-23

BRUSSELS - Today [March 23], European Union (EU) foreign ministers agreed on new sanctions against Belarus and Syria, various news agencies report after talking with sources within diplomatic circles.

An official announcement will be made in the near future.

According to the sanctions, 12 more Belarus citizens will be blacklisted, and will be denied entrance into the EU and have had their EU assets frozen. Sanctions have also been imposed against several companies in Belarus close to the regime.

In regard to Syria, the EU has also blacklisted 12 people, including the wife of the country's ruler Asma al-Assad.

In both cases, the sanctions were imposed because the EU is confident these persons have been involved in repression against political opponents in their respective countries.