Freed Belarusian political prisoners now in Lithuania said Monday they hope the release process that began earlier this month will continue and lead to freedom for hundreds still jailed in Belarus.
Uladzimir Labkovich, a lawyer with the human rights group Viasna who was sentenced to seven years in prison, said he has no illusions about the situation under Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko but believes releases must go on.
“They must return home as soon as possible, because it is extremely hard for them,” Labkovich told reporters in Vilnius. “We have to do everything we can to ensure this mechanism works and people can regain their freedom.”
Another former political prisoner, Siarhei Pavlovich, said he expects additional releases soon. “I want this miracle to happen for others as well – if not this Christmas, then during the upcoming holidays,” he said.
Hanna Kurys, who recently turned 23, said those who have been freed have a responsibility to speak publicly about political imprisonment in Belarus. She said detainees are jailed not for their actions but because of decisions by the authorities, adding that they are simply seeking freedom for their country.
“If no one speaks, there is total darkness,” Kurys said. “I realised I cannot remain silent, knowing how people are held there – my friends – and the conditions they live in.”
Lukashenko jailed thousands of opponents after the 2020 presidential election, which human rights organisations say was rigged and sparked weeks of mass protests. Speaking at the Vilnius news conference, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said about 1,100 political prisoners remain behind bars.
Former detainees said the number of political prisoners continues to grow despite recent releases. “This worries me deeply and weighs on me emotionally, because this process must be stopped,” Labkovich said.
He called for information about political prisoners to be made public not only for the media and human rights groups but also for international accountability mechanisms, so those responsible for abuses can be held to account.
Tsikhanouskaya urged international partners to maintain sanctions pressure on Lukashenko until what she called “repression and terror” in Belarus end.
Belarus released 123 political prisoners on December 13 following talks with the United States, Tsikhanouskaya said. Of those freed, 87 went to Poland, two to Germany and 28 to Lithuania, while reviews concerning several others are still ongoing.
Those released include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, opposition activists Maryia Kalesnikava and Maksim Znak, former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, and writer and public activist Pavel Seviarynets.
Media reports have said Washington eased sanctions on Belarusian potash fertiliser exports in exchange for the releases. On Monday, the former prisoners publicly thanked US President Donald Trump for efforts to secure their freedom.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
