French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the EU "would continue the political pressure on the Belarusian regime to improve the situation" in the country.
This is stated in the response letter to the leader of the Movement "For Freedom," Aliaksandr Milinkevich, who told the French leader of the harsh conditions of detention in prison and the continued repression against the opposition.
"For France, as well as for its European partners, the release of political prisoners, sentenced after the events of December 19, is a prerequisite for the resumption of dialogue", said Sarkozy. "The EU is particularly closely monitoring conditions of detention of the convicted opposition members."
The French president says that Paris stands for "expanding the list of individual sanctions against those involved in the repression against the opposition and civil society," according to the Movement "For Freedom."
On October 10, the EU foreign ministers decided at a meeting in Luxembourg to expand the list of Belarusian and Iranian officials, prohibited from entering the EU territory. Foreign Minister also decided to freeze the assets of these officials.
Meanwhile, Belarus Foreign Ministry stated that the renewal and extension of the restrictions, imposed by the EU against Belarusian officials, are "irrelevant".
The Supreme Court of Belarus considers expansion of the EU sanctions as direct pressure on the sovereign justice.
