Source link : https://london-news.net/belarus-releases-political-prisoners-including-nobel-laureate-amid-u-s-sanctions-deal/
Belarus has released 123 detainees, among them opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, and former presidential contender Viktar Babaryka, in an arrangement facilitated by the United States.
The release of these prisoners is linked to the recent removal of “illegal” U.S. sanctions affecting the Belarusian potash industry, as well as ongoing discussions about lifting additional sanctions against Belarus, according to a statement from President Alexander Lukashenko’s press office.
An advisor to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya confirmed that all released individuals are now outside of Belarus.
Kalesnikava, 43 years old, was sentenced to 11 years in prison back in 2021 for her role in leading significant protests against Lukashenko’s controversial re-election in 2020. She notably refused to leave the country, famously tearing her passport at the Belarus-Ukraine border, but was ultimately imprisoned for alleged violations of national security and conspiracy to seize power.
“I just had a video call with Maria,” Kalesnikava’s sister, Tatsiana Khomich, stated on X following the news of her release. “She is free! I can’t express how happy I am! I can’t wait to embrace her again.”
The Belarusian human rights organization Viasna reported that Bialiatski was among those released.
Bialiatski, aged 63, faced a 10-year prison sentence in 2023 for charges related to smuggling and financing activities deemed…
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Publish date : 2025-12-13 14:36:00
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