Belarus Dismisses U.S. Travel Ban On Officials
May 16, 2006
Hundreds were jailed after opposition protesters were attacked by police on March 25 (RFE/RL)
Ministry spokesman Andrey Papou told Reuters the U.S. travel ban, and similar measures imposed last month by the European Union, "will produce nothing constructive" in bilateral relations and "will have no effect."
The United States and the European Union have condemned the March election -- in which, according to official figures, Lukashenka won 83 percent of the vote -- as neither free nor fair.
Hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested and imprisoned for up to 15 days during the unprecedented protests sparked by the election outcome.
(Reuters)