Deeply concerned: Mike Pompeo condemns Belarus bid to expel opposition

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday said that he is “deeply concerned” and condemned the bid by the Belarus government to forcefully expel its opposition leaders. He also said that the US was considering further sanctions.

Pompeo’s remarks came right after officials attempted to expel opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova from Belarus. She is the last of three women leading the mass protest against President Alexander Lukashenko to remain inside Belarus. 

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Unidentified men in black on Monday morning had grabbed Maria and pushed her into a minibus, her campaign team had reported. Following this, the government tried to expel her to neigbouring Ukraine. Resisting the attempt, she tore her passport to pieces.

“The United States, in coordination with our partners and allies, is considering additional targeted sanctions to promote accountability for those involved in human rights abuses and repression in Belarus,” he said in a statement.

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“We remind the Belarusian authorities of their responsibility to ensure the safety of Kolesnikova and all those unjustly detained,” Pompeo said.

“We call on the Belarusian authorities to end the violence against their own people, release all those who have been unjustly detained, including US citizen Vitali Shkliarov, and engage in meaningful dialogue with genuine representatives of Belarusian society,” he added. 

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Shkliarov is a Washington-based political analyst who was detained on a visit to his native Belarus and accused of helping plot mass unrest, a charge he denies.