Belarus police on Wednesday searched the homes of journalists working for an independent news agency in an escalating crackdown on the media under President Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus on Tuesday slammed the latest US and UK sanctions, accusing the West of wanting to overthrow strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko and using the country's human rights record as a cover.

The United States will on Monday impose fresh sanctions on the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is accused of a brutal crackdown on opponents, a White House official told AFP.

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko denied on Monday that his authoritarian government was using torture and violence to silence all dissent, a year after he sparked massive protests by claiming to have won a disputed election.

Belarus raided the offices of several regional media organisations and homes of independent journalists on Friday, in the second straight day of the country's latest crackdown on the press.

Belarus on Thursday barred access to the country's oldest news organisation and raided the offices of several regional newspapers as President Alexander Lukashenko's regime clamps down on media not under state control.

Prosecutors in Belarus on Tuesday requested 15 years in jail for a leading opposition figure, who was arrested last year ahead of presidential elections that sparked historic anti-government protests.

Belarusian strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday signed legislation toughening protest laws, raising the stakes of a crackdown following his disputed re-election last year.

EU ambassadors agreed Friday to close the bloc's airspace to Belarusian carriers, cementing a decision by leaders to punish Minsk over the forced landing of a Ryanair jet, diplomats said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko will meet Friday after the UN civil aviation agency announced it will investigate the diversion of a passenger plane and the arrest of a journalist on board in a growing diplomatic row.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Wednesday he had acted "lawfully to protect people" by diverting a Ryanair flight over Belarusian airspace, an act that sparked a global outcry.

Air France, Finnair and Singapore Airlines became the latest carriers to suspend flights over Belarus on Tuesday after Minsk forced a jet to land to arrest a dissident.