European MEP Ana Gomes Demands Sanctions Against Blockers Of Charter-97

• 7.03.2018, 9:21

The deputy inquiry will be sent to the European Commission as soon as possible.

On March 6, democratic activist Dzianis Kazakevich met in Brussels with the European MP from Portugal, a diplomat, a member of the European Parliament's Committee for Security and Defense, Ana Maria Gomes. They discussed the blocking of the Charter-97 website and systemic repressions against journalists in Belarus.

The MEP also got acquainted with the data, which show that the Charter-97 blocking undermines the information security of Belarus and leaves the country defenseless before the Russian propaganda.

Ana Gomes, a long-term diplomat and member of the European Parliament's Committee for Security and Defense, believes that the most effective response to the Charter-97 blocking is sanctions.

According to Ana Gomes, it is necessary to impose targeted sanctions against Information Minister Aliaksandr Karliukevich, Deputy Information Minister (currently head of the STV television channel) Ihar Lutski, and against the head of the Operational and Analytical Center under Lukashenka's administration, Andrei Pauliuchenka.

The MEP will demand the introduction of visa sanctions, asset freezing and prohibition of transactions for the above-mentioned persons. In the near future, the relevant request will be forwarded to the European Commission.

The request will also include a requirement to impose sanctions against Lukashenka's High-Tech Park. According to Ana Gomes, the digital economy is incompatible with censorship of the Internet.