2025-12-13 14:54, updated 2025-12-13 16:35
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2025-12-13 14:54
update
2025-12-13 16:35
The Belarusian authorities released 123 political prisoners, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported on Saturday. Among these people was oppositionist Maryja Kalesnikava, the press office of Belarusian oppositionist Viktar Babaryka reported on Saturday.
According to a press statement issued by Alyaksandr Lukashenko's office, cited by “Vyasna”, the release of the prisoners resulted from the agreement reached by the authorities in Minsk with US President Donald Trump.
A total of 156 people were pardoned, taking into account the decisions made by the Belarusian leader in late November. “Among them are citizens of Great Britain, the United States, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, Australia and Japan,” Lukashenko's press office reported.
Oppositionists Maryja Kalesnikava and Ales Bialyatsky were released
Belarusian oppositionist Maryja Kalesnikava, Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialyatsky and Polish citizen Roman Galuza were released on Saturday by the authorities in Minsk, reported the Center for the Defense of Human Rights “Vyasna” and the independent Belarusian news portal Zierkalo. Byalyatsky was forcibly deported to Lithuania.
Would-be presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka and activists of the Viasna Human Rights Center Valantin Stefanovich and Uladz Labkovich were released by the regime of Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenko, the Viasna center reported on Saturday.
The political prisoners released by the authorities in Minsk also included Maryna Zołatava, editor-in-chief of the largest independent website tut.by, and the well-known Belarusian political scientist Alaksandr Fiaduta.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Among the people who regain their freedom is a Polish citizen; we strive to free Poczobut
– We are glad that among those who regain their freedom is a Polish citizen [Roman Gałuza – red.] and Aleś Bialatsky. Together with our partners, we do not stop striving for Andrzej Poczobut to be released, assured Maciej Wewiór, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
When asked whether it is true that Andrzej Poczobut refused to write a request to Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, Wewiór emphasized that he could not talk about the details of the negotiations. He noted that “there was also a proposal for Andrzej Poczobut.” – He did not agree, which does not mean that we, together with our partners, are not still working to release him – emphasized the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
US Embassy: Nine political prisoners released by Belarus were sent to Vilnius
Nine political prisoners, released by the authorities in Minsk on Saturday, were sent from Belarus to Vilnius, the US embassy in the Lithuanian capital reported. This group includes Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Byalatsky.
According to information provided by American diplomacy, the released Belarusian oppositionist Maryja Kalesnikava was not sent to the Lithuanian capital. The remaining released prisoners are to be transported from Belarus to Ukraine.
This was confirmed by the Viasna Human Rights Defense Center on the Telegram channel, which stated that 114 freed people were deported to Ukraine, including 104 Belarusians.
Staff for prisoners of war: Belarus handed them over to the Ukrainian side
114 civilian prisoners released by the Belarusian authorities on Saturday were transferred to Ukraine; This was done at the request and with the support of American partners, said the Ukrainian Coordinating Staff for Prisoners of War.
“Today, an operation to transfer civilians was held between Ukraine and Belarus. As a result of previous arrangements and effective negotiations with the Belarusian side, at the request and with the support of American partners and thanks to the work of the Coordinating Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 114 civilian citizens were transferred to Ukraine, including Ukrainians detained on the territory of the Republic of Belarus,” the staff said in the Telegram messenger.
The announcement explained that the youngest freed Ukrainian was 25 years old. He and other Ukrainians are civilians detained in Belarus and accused of alleged cooperation with Ukrainian special services, it was explained.
Ales Bialatsky – Nobel Prize winner, released by the Lukashenko regime
Ales Bialyatsky (born 1952) is the founder of the Viasna Human Rights Defense Center, a leading organization defending human rights in Belarus. He was active in the opposition during the USSR era, and founded “Vyasna” in 1996.
Although the leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, banned the organization in 2003, it never stopped its activities. Even after in July 2021 – on a wave of unprecedented repression after the rigged presidential elections and purges among NGOs and social organizations – Byalyatsky and other “Viasna” employees were arrested.
In 2021, Byalyatsky was imprisoned for the second time; he was first behind bars in 2011-2014. Following his arrest in 2021, he was sentenced in March 2023 to 10 years in a penal colony for allegedly financing the 2020 post-election protests.
In 2022, Byalyatsky was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties and the Russian Memorial. However, this did not in any way improve his situation in prison.
Bialiatsky has chronic health problems. In July, his wife Natalia Pinczuk reported that her husband did not receive the medicines given to him.
Like many political prisoners, the oppositionist was kept in isolation, without the possibility of contact with his family or even a lawyer. Repeated appeals for his release were ignored by the authorities in Minsk.
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