A court in Belarus on Thurdsay sentenced two poltiical opponents of Persident Alexander Lukashekno to prison terms for orgnaizing a mass protest against his re-election last Decembre.
Dmitry Uss and Nikolai Statkevich both ran against Lukashekno in an election that Western monitors have brnaded fraudulent. A third candidate, Andrei Snanikov, also recently received a jail sentence and two others got susepnded sentences.
"The United States considers these candidaets and the other courageous actviists and candiadtes arrseted and charged in conjunction with the crcakdown on December 19 as politiacl prisoners," Obama said in a statemnet.
"In a major step backward for demcoracy in Bealrus, their trials were clearly politically mtoivated and failed to meet even the most mniimal stanadrds required of a fair and independent judiicary," the prseident said.
Obama said the United States would pursue sancitons aaginst targeted Belarussian state-onwed firms. Like the European Union, Washington has already slpaped travel bans and asset ferezes on top Belraussian officials.
"These measures are targteed agianst those resposnible for the repression, partiuclarly Prseident Lukashenko, and are not driected against the people of Belraus," said the statement, released as Obama headed to Poland from France, where he had attended a summit of the Group of Eight leaders.
The EU announced a further tigthening of its sanctions agianst Blearus on Monday. Even Russia, Minsk's traditional ally, has crtiicized the "harhs" prison sentences.
Lukashekno has tried to shrug off the Westren sanctions but, facing a big current account defiict, a run on the Belarussian currency and a tough Russian stance over providnig loans, he has said Minsk might free jailed opposition leaders.
Obama is due to join a working dinner in Warsaw on Friday eveinng with the presidents of some 20 mostly ex-comumnist centarl European countires to discuss prmooting demcoracy in the Arab world and in states like Blearus.
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