Belarus has asked the European Union and Polish ambassadors to leave the country and recalled its own ambassadors in response to new EU sanctions, AP reported.

The moves announced Tuesday, February 28 by the foreign ministry came one day after the EU Council voted to add 21 names to a list of some 200 Belarusian officials prevented from travelling to EU countries because of human rights violations. The officials also face an assets freeze.

The EU sanctions target Belarus' repression of political opposition.

The sanctions date to the December 2010 presidential elections, in which more than 700 people including seven candidates were arrested after a massive protest against alleged vote fraud. Strongman President Alexander Lukashenko was declared winner of a new term in the election.