Among the released is the husband of the Leader of the Belarusian opposition of the light of Cichanouska – Siarhiej Cichanuski. “My husband Siarhiej is free! It is really difficult to describe the joy I feel in my heart,” wrote the Belarusian oppositionist on the portal X.
“We have not finished. 1150 political prisoners remain behind bars. Everyone must be released,” she added.
According to Reuters, citing the spokesman for the Lithuanian government, Among the 14 released people there are five Belarusians, three Poles, two Japanese, two Latvians, Estonian and Swede.
According to the Belarusian Center for Human Rights, Wiasna96, in addition to Sergei Cihanouuski, Natalia Dulina (former Associate Professor of the Moscow University of State Law), Igor Losik (Belarusian blogger, Administrator of the Brain Canal), Igor Karnei (journalist of Radio Wolność), Galina Krasnyanskaja (a citizen of Sweden and Belarus), Akihira), Gayevska-Khanada (anarchist activist), Kirił Bałachonow (sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for participation in a closed chat with five people who in Belarus was considered an extremist group), Sergei Sweet (businessman) and Alan Roy (Citizen of Estonia).
The light advisor of the Cichanouuska Dzianis Kuczyński announced that the Pole Andrzej Poczobut is not among the released foreigners. But he added that “the fight for him and other political prisoners continues”. According to Belsat, there are three Polish citizens among political prisoners. Their names have not yet been revealed.
Free political prisoners were taken to Lithuania. “In the released group of 14 prisoners, headed by Siarhiejem Cichanouski, there were three Polish citizens, whose dismissal was released by the authorities of the Commonwealth” – emphasized the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a communiqué. A representative of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in their transfer at the US Embassy in Vilnius – the ministry pointed out.
“Thank you for the efforts of the administration of President Donald Trump and for the support of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda. We hope that the journey to Minsk's Messengers of the US President: General Keith Kellog, John Coale and Chris Smith is the first step to release more Polish prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
More than two years in Andrzej Poczobut prison
One of the political prisoners in Belarus is Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist, publicist and blogger associated with Grodno, an activist of the Polish minority and opposition in Belarus.
The beginning of the Poczobut began on January 16, 2023. The District Court in Grodno on February 8, 2023, he sentenced Andrzej Postal to eight years in prison with high rigor (imprisonment in a criminal colony). In August 2023 he was punished with a six -month stay in a carcere.
“Pressure for Belarus must be continued until all political prisoners are released,” said Sweden Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Among the Swedish citizen, 68-year-old Halina Krasnjanska is among the released.
