U.S. lashes out at Belarusian president

WASHINGTON, May 27 (UPI) -- Washington announced Friday it was targeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with sanctions as a response to the detention of opposition figures.

U.S. President Barack Obama, in a statement Friday, condemned the conviction of opposition presidential candidates Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Andrey Sannikau, Vital Rymasheuski, Mikalay Statkevich and Dzmitry Us in Belarus.

Washington, he said, considers the candidates "courageous activists" who were charged in response to a crackdown on opposition figures during a December presidential contest.

As a result, Washington imposed sanctions on state-owned enterprises in Belarus.

"These measures are targeted against those responsible for the repression, particularly President Lukashenko, and are not directed against the people of Belarus," a presidential statement read.

The sanctions include travel restrictions and asset freezes.

The post-election period that brought another term for Lukashenko, the first and only president of an independent Belarus, was marred by widespread unrest that saw six presidential candidates and at least 600 anti-government protesters detained.

The European government said it added 13 names to the list of sanctioned individuals in Belarus. That list includes Lukashenko.

"The Belarusian authorities need to understand that there can be no normalization of relations with the international community without respect for the most basic of human rights and fundamental freedoms," added British Foreign Secretary William Hague.