The EU and Belarus: Sanctions? What Sanctions?

Last week the Belarusian interior minister, Anatoly Kulyashou, travelled to France for a conference at Interpol in Lyon. This may not appear out of the ordinary. But he is wanted for questioning amid allegations of torture and hostage-taking. He is also under a European Union travel ban.

His visit had a silver lining for the Belarusian opposition. If the French had denied him a visa, the NGO Free Belarus Now would not have been able to petition the French justice ministry for his arres...