BRUSSELS, August 5. /TASS/. The European Union has introduced sanctions against 28 Belarusian security officials, judges and journalists, a statement by the EU Council reads.

"The Council today decided to impose restrictive measures on an additional 28 individuals," the statement said. The EU Council accused them of "the ongoing internal repression and human rights violations in Belarus."

The sanctions list includes Irina Akulovich, director general of the BelTA state news agency, the host of the "Senate" television program on the STV channel and chairman of the Youth Council at the National Assembly of Belarus Nikita Rachilovsky, and Dmitry Zhuk, editor-in-chief of the "Belarus Today" publishing house. Sanctions have been imposed on "two deputy heads of the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption (HUBAZiK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs," as well as on "various members of the judiciary, namely prosecutors and numerous judges."

The sanction take effect upon the statement’s publication.

Overall, the EU sanctions list on Belarus now includes 261 individuals and 37 organizations. They are subject to an asset freeze and a travel ban on entering or transiting through EU territories.