Belarus (Washington Insider) – Belarus released 123
political prisoners, including Maria Kolesnikova and Ales Bialiatski, after US
envoy John Coale negotiated with the US lifting potash sanctions; prisoners
sent to Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania.
As BBC News reported, Belarus has released 123 political
prisoners, including opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Peace Prize
winner Ales Bialiatski. The release follows talks with the United States, which
agreed to lift some sanctions on Belarus’s potash industry, a major source of
income and a key ingredient in fertiliser.
Coale said:
“As relations between the two countries
normalise, more and more sanctions will be lifted.”
What does Belarus releasing 123 prisoners mean as US lifts
sanctions?
Kolesnikova, a prominent figure in the 2020 pro-democracy
protests, spent more than 3 years in prison, including long periods in
isolation. She was handed over to Ukraine along with other prisoners. Her
sister, Tatiana Khomich, confirmed the news through a video call and spoke
about the relief of finally being able to contact her.
“She is free, she looks fine, she looks good,”
said Khomich, who said she was looking forward to hugging her sibling.
The transfer took place after meetings in Minsk with John
Coale, the U.S. President’s special envoy for Belarus. Ukrainian authorities
said the prisoners would first receive medical care in Ukraine and then be
moved to Poland and Lithuania.
Belarus remains closely aligned with Russia, and the
European Union does not recognise President Alexander Lukashenko. The release
of Kolesnikova and other political prisoners is a major development in
Belarus.
After embracing Tikhanovskaya, Bialiatski said:
“Thousands
of people have been and continue to be imprisoned…so our struggle
continues.”
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition
leader, was waiting outside the US embassy in Vilnius when she spoke about the
release of political prisoners. She said the decision to send them to Ukraine
was unexpected and had been made by President Alexander Lukashenko. A smaller
group of prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, was sent to
Vilnius, Lithuania.
Officials mentioned that the deal is seen as a major
political success for Lukashenko. He is also likely to welcome the United
States lifting some of his international isolation. John Coale, the US special
envoy for Belarus, told Belarusian state media that sanctions on potash exports
would be lifted immediately. He also said he spoke with Lukashenko about
Belarus’s role in Ukraine and how Minsk could assist in talks with Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
While Europe is focused on isolating and sanctioning others,
the United States has chosen to engage economically in order to promote
political objectives. Recently freed
from prison were Maria Kolesnikova, Viktor Babaryko, and Marina Zolotova,
the editor of independent news outlet, Tut.by. Neither the EU nor the US
recognises Lukašenko as president after massive protests followed the elections
5 years ago, when he took power through election fraud.
The protests were met with violent repression by law
enforcement; many individuals were arrested, including Kolesnikova. Since then,
political repression has continued. Tikhanovskaya stated that “sanctions are
leverage for getting dictators to act,” indicating that Belarus’ actions are
influenced by economic pressure imposed by international actors.
She said:
“Lukashenko will not release people
because he somehow became humane, he wants to sell people as expensive as
possible.”
“Of course, it is the price. But we understand that
American sanctions are rather flexible.”
“They can lift them tomorrow if some deals are not
fulfilled.”
