Obama condemns Belarus sentences

DEAUVILLE, France, May 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama condemned Belarus Friday for jailing opposition leaders and threatened new sanctions.

Attending the Group of Eight summit in France, the president said: "I strongly condemn the conviction and sentencing of opposition presidential candidates Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Andrey Sannikau, Vital Rymasheuski, Mikalay Statkevich and Dzmitry Us."

The men were arrested at a Dec. 19 rally in Minsk protesting the election that day that returned President Alexander Lukashenko to office. Statkevich and Us were sentenced to six and 5 1/2 years, respectively, Thursday. The others were sentenced earlier.

Obama called them "courageous activists" and denounced their trials and sentences as "politically motivated."

The president said the United States "will pursue new sanctions against select Belarusian state-owned enterprises" and increase "our assistance in support of democratic reform in Belarus."