REUTERS

The European Union is set to propose sanctions on more than 70 individuals and organizations in a new round of restrictive measures against the regime in Belarus, a source familiar with the matter said, according to a media report.

The move is another stage of the EU response to repressive actions by the authorities in Minsk. In May, the Belarusian government forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk to arrest a dissident blogger Roman Protasevich who was flying from Greece to Lithuania, according to Bloomberg.

The EU has already sanctioned seven Belarusian entities and 88 persons, including Alexander Lukashenko, and was working on adding more people even before the detention of Protasevich. Earlier this month, EU members agreed to ban Belarusian airplanes from European airspace.

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Read alsoEuropean Parliament calling to toughen sanctions against BelarusThe new measures would put another 71 individuals and seven more organizations on the list, which was extended in response to Pratasevich's arrest, the source said.

The list includes judges and prosecutors who have been involved in sentencing protesters, as well as lawmakers, government and law-enforcement officials and business executives affiliated with the regime, the source said.

 Also targeted are a handful of companies and exporters accused of supporting Lukashenko’s government and its repression of civil society.

The proposed measures are yet to be adopted by member states before being enforced.

Sanctions include EU travel bans and asset freeze.

Technical work continues on further targeted economic sanctions. The exact sectors to be affected are likely to include areas such as potash, an EU official told Bloomberg last month.

Read alsoLukashenko designates day of Soviet invasion of Poland, Ukraine as Unity Day in BelarusPotash is Belarus's major export -- also covering a large share of European demand -- and only abundant mineral resource.

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