Standing by protesters, EU to hold emergency Belarus talks
2020-08-18 09:21:36 source：The Aljazeera
August 18, 2020
European Union leaders will hold an emergency video conference about a deepening political crisis in Belarus, bloc officials have said, expressing support for a protest movement rallying against the disputed re-election of longtime President Alexander Lukashenko.
The EU has agreed to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials it deems responsible for alleged election fraud and a violent crackdown on mass protests that followed an August 9 vote in which the official count gave Lukashenko 80 percent of the vote. His opponents say the election was rigged.
"The people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and freely elect their leader," said Charles Michel, president of the European Council, which represents the 27 national governments, in announcing Wednesday's video conference.
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