European Union in talks about further measures against Belarus - Germany

Germany and the European Union are looking into ways to raise the pressure on the Belarusian leadership after hundreds of protesters were detained during mass demonstrations there on Sunday, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets every week since an election in August that they say was rigged, something President Alexander Lukashenko denies.

Germany and the European Union are looking into ways to raise the pressure on the Belarusian leadership after hundreds of protesters were detained during mass demonstrations there on Sunday, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday. "The German government is in discussions with our EU partners about which additional restrictive measures might be suitable to further raise the pressure (on Belarus)," the spokesman said.

"It is conceivable that these measures could be directed against companies which are involved in human rights violations." Belarus has been mired in political crisis for months. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets every week since an election in August that they say was rigged, something President Alexander Lukashenko denies. They want the veteran leader, in power for 26 years, to resign.