Switzerland sanctions Belarus leader Lukashenko

Switzerland said on Friday it would join the EU in banning Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko and other top-ranking officials from entering or travelling through its territory, as well as freezing their financial assets.

In addition to the Belarusian president, the officials targeted included his son and national security advisor, Viktor Lukashenko.

“Financial sanctions and travel bans were imposed on 15 individuals, including President Alexander Lukashenko,” the Swiss government said in a statement.

The new measures, which will come into force with immediate effect, “are in line with the decisions taken by the EU on November 6,” the statement said.

Switzerland was ” deeply concerned by the ongoing tensions and is calling for dialogue between the Belarus government and civil society”, the government said.

“It is urging Belarus to respect its international human rights obligations. These include respect for freedom of expression, assembly and association, the release of all those who have been arbitrarily detained and the investigation of allegations of torture or ill-treatment by security forces.”

The European Union has slapped sanctions on Lukashenko and some of his allies over their violent response to opposition demonstrations since a presidential election in August.

The opposition says the election was rigged and political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya — who ran against Lukashenko in the place of her jailed husband — was the true winner of the vote.

Tikhanovskaya, who fled to EU member Lithuania soon afterwards, has received support from several Western leaders, who refuse to recognise the election results.

Lukashenko, who has the firm backing of Moscow, has refused to step down and instead has proposed constitutional reforms in a bid to placate the opposition.