MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2021) Belarusian opposition figure, and ex-presidential candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya called on Estonian authorities to expand sanctions against the official Minsk, her press service said on Friday.
Many Western countries have refused to recognize Lukashenko as a legitimate president and imposed targeted sanctions against Belarusian officials, citing alleged election fraud and violence against protesters. The third package of EU sanctions entered into force on December 17 and put 29 persons and seven entities under restrictive measures. As of now, the sanctions list includes 88 persons and seven entities.
"Svetlana Tikhanovskaya began a working visit to Estonia and met with President Kersti Kaljulaid. Svetlana called for the expansion of sanctions, adding to the list members of OMON Special Task Force and the main department for combating organized crime and corruption of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, judges and businessmen who support [current political] regime," the press service said in a Telegram channel.
According to the message, the sides discussed the possibility of opening cases in Estonia against the Belarusian security forces within the framework of universal jurisdiction, cooperation on the issue of economic and digital reforms, and the development of the IT sector.
The sides also discussed the upcoming All-Belarusian National Assembly which is set for February and the constitutional reform in Belarus. Kaljulaid outlined how Estonia has been helping Belarus, including allocating 700,000 Euros (almost $851,000) to support educational and public initiatives.
After the presidential elections held in Belarus on August 9, in which Lukashenko won for the sixth time, mass opposition protests erupted in the country, which was suppressed by the security forces. The opposition believes that the elections were won by Tikhanovskaya. Amid ensuing anti-government protests that challenged the results, she refused to concede and fled to Lithuania, from where she continues rallying support from Western leaders.
