Lithuania has prepared a list of national sanctions against the Belarusian regime, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said on Wednesday evening.
Thirty-two names are on the list that was drawn up by the Foreign Ministry and was sent to the Interior Ministry for approval on Wednesday, according to Linkevičius.
"We welcome the European Council's resolution to proceed with [...] European sanctions, which is very important," the minister told BNS.
Read more: Lithuanian parliament declares Lukashenko not legitimate leader of Belarus
Lithuanian sanctions will target those who used, and were responsible, for the “violence and excessive force” against protesters, as well as those who rigged the election, he added.
This will be Lithuania's contribution to the EU's collective action in the wake of the events in Belarus, Linkevičius said.
If the proposed sanctions are approved by the Interior Ministry, Lithuania will ban entry to 32 individuals, including President Alexander Lukashenko and some people close to him, according to the minister.
"I won't give the names. I'll only say that there are 32 names, including Alexander Lukashenko and other officials from the responsible structures: OMON, KGB [and] the electoral commission," Linkevičius told BNS.
"The sanctions are, frankly, quite symbolic, because the most important thing will be European sanctions. But this is a measure we can take at the moment," he added.
Interior Minister Rita Tamašunienė told BNS on Wednesday evening that she had not yet seen the list, but would examine it on Thursday.
Belarus has been engulfed in mass protests since Lukashenko declared victory in the August 9 presidential election with 80 percent of the vote. The opposition has dismissed the result as rigged.
Around 7,000 people were arrested in a police crackdown on protesters. Some detainees said they had been tortured in jail.
EU leaders decided on Wednesday to impose targeted sanctions against Belarusian officials who were directly involved in the vote-rigging and the repression of protesters, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said after the bloc's online summit.
Read more: EU to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials, says Lithuanian president
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