EU slaps economic sanctions on Belarus over rights breaches

The European Union has slapped economic sanctions on Belarus in response to what the EU called the “escalation of serious human rights violations” including the detention of journalist Raman Pratasevich

BRUSSELS -- The European Union slapped economic sanctions on Belarus on Thursday in response to what the bloc called the “escalation of serious human rights violations” including the detention of journalist Raman Pratasevich. The sanctions target the economy but are also aimed at hitting President Alexander Lukashenko and his allies. Pratasevich, a dissident journalist, was arrested May 23 after Belarusian flight controllers ordered a Ryanair jet traveling from Greece to Lithuania to land in Minsk. The sanctions agreed upon Thursday target industries including potash — a common fertilizer ingredient — tobacco industry exports and petroleum products.