U.S. Issues Travel Ban On Belarusian Officials
May 16, 2006
The U.S. and EU accuse the government of Alyaksandr Lukashenka of falsifying the March vote (epa)
Bush says in a new presidential directive that the travel ban affects members of the Belarusian government who were involved with alleged electoral fraud in the March 19 Belarusian presidential election, human rights abuses, or corruption that undermines the transition to democracy in Belarus.
The travel ban also applies to persons who have, through business dealings with Belarusian government officials, derived signficant financial benefit through policies that have damaged democratic institutions in Belarus, according to Bush's statement.
The United States and European Union have imposed a series of diplomatic sanctions against Belarus, saying the presidential election was neither free nor fair and condemning a crackdown against opposition political activists.
(Reuters, AFP)