TALLINN, August 27. /TASS/. The Estonian government has adopted the order to impose targeted sanctions against some Belarusian officials over the developments that unfolded following the recent presidential elections, the Government Communication Unit said Thursday.
"The people of Belarus have the right to freely choose their own path and they have expressed a clear desire for democratic change," Prime Minister Juri Ratas noted. "The purpose of the targeted sanctions imposed by Estonia is to explicitly condemn the falsification of the election results and the violence used against peaceful protesters, and to ensure that the persons responsible cannot enter Estonia."
The order introduces a ban on entering the country for people believed to bear responsibility for rigging the Belarusian presidential election, violence that ensued and human rights abuses or who were complicit in it, according to the statement. The list of such officials will be later determined by a separate order of the Foreign Ministry.
Belarus held the presidential election on August 9. According to the Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko secured his reelection with 80.10% of the votes, while his key rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya came second with 10.12% She rejected the results and later fled to neighboring Lithuania. Amid this background, the country plunged into mass protests, as people challenged the official results. In the first few days, demonstrations were coupled with clashes with the police. The recently created Coordination Council of the Belarusian opposition is urging people to keep protesting. Meanwhile, authorities say that unlawful rallies need to stop.