From Jan Maksymiuk, Regional Analyst for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, comes this report:The U.S. State Department has extended its list of Belarusians banned from entering the United States under a presidential order of 2006, the U.S. Embassy to Belarus's website reported on August 7. The order deals with sanctions on officials deemed responsible for policies or actions that threaten Belarus's transition to democracy.
The expanded list includes officials at or above the deputy-minister level or equivalent; any prosecutor-general or deputy prosecutor-general; Interior Ministry officers above the rank of lieutenant colonel; KGB officers above the rank of lieutenant colonel; ideology officers of the Minsk City Executive Committee and regional executive committees; the head and deputy heads of the presidential administration; members of the Central Election Commission; the chairs of the regional election commissions; the chief judges of Belarus's district and regional courts; the chairman of the Constitutional Court; the directors and deputy directors of state-owned companies; and the spouses of any official or employee listed above.
Regarding the expanded travel-ban list, the U.S. Embassy said that "in the year since President Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 8015 concerning Belarus, the regime of Alyaksandr Lukashenka has continued to imprison and harass persons for speaking out in favor of democracy, holding peaceful demonstrations, and opposing the repressive policies of the regime."
Minsk will have to take reciprocal measures in response to Washington's "unilateral unmotivated act" to ban new categories of Belarusian officials from entering the United States, Belapan reported on August 7, quoting Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Vanshyna. "We have repeatedly said that such decisions are counterproductive and hopeless. This policy has played itself out. It is a thing of the past century," Vanshyna said.
"The consistent restriction of contacts by the American government in the era of globalization is not and cannot be a measure conducive to the achievement of mutual understanding and the development of bilateral relations," she added.
Not the most comforting news for an American (yours truly) who plans on returning for his 10th trip to Belarus in October. So, I'd appreciate a prayer or two as the Lord brings this situation to mind. Thanks.
