The Link between the EU Sanctions and Repressions in Belarus
The Link between the EU Sanctions and Repressions in Belarus

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the relation between EU sanctions against Belarus and repressions in the country. On the basis of Reed M. Wood’s theory of economic sanctions the article aims to answer the question whether EU economic sanctions promote repression in Belarus and whether more severe sanctions contribute to greater state-sponsored repression. In this article repressions are defined as violations of human rights. The article focuses is on three groups of human rights, which are closely related to the political sphere, viz., political, civic, and physical integrity human rights. Qualitative methods are used to examine whether the relation between EU sanctions and repression in Belarus exists and, if yes, what its nature is. The article is concluded by a discussion of the reasons why Wood’s theoretical model cannot fully explain the case of Belarus.

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