U.S. Gathering Data On Lukashenka's Bank Accounts

31 March 2005 (RFE/RL) -- A U.S. official says Washington has gathered information on bank accounts belonging to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and senior officials of his administration.

In an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the U.S. ambassador to Belarus, George Krol, said today that the data is being gathered in accordance with the Belarus Democracy Act.

The Belarus Democracy Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in October and gives the State Department new authority to impose sanctions on Lukashenka and his government.

The ambassador did not say in what countries the bank accounts are held.

Lukashenka and other top Belarusian officials are already barred from traveling to the United States and countries in the European Union.