EU imposes sanctions on Belarus President

European Union leaders decided on Friday to slap sanctions on Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said.

Speaking on behalf of the EU, Plassnik said the 25 EU leaders "decided to take restrictive measures against those politically and administratively responsible for the violations ... including President Lukashenko."

She called on authorities in Belarus to "refrain from any further action" against protesters.