Belarus releases Protester Kolesnikova and Nobel winner Bialiatski
The Chronify
123 detainees—including foreign nationals—were released after a US envoy confirmed that Washington would ease certain sanctions on Minsk, a close ally of Russia.
Belarus has released prominent protest leader Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski as part of a US-mediated agreement that led to the freeing of more than 100 political detainees, according to rights groups and officials.
President Alexander Lukashenko has imprisoned thousands of critics, opposition figures, and demonstrators since the disputed 2020 presidential election, which human rights organizations say was rigged and sparked widespread protests across the country.
State media, relatives, and rights organizations reported that 123 detainees—including foreign nationals—were released after a US envoy confirmed that Washington would ease certain sanctions on Minsk, a close ally of Russia.
Belarus’ state news agency Belta quoted officials as saying that the president approved pardons for “123 citizens of various countries.”
The human rights group Viasna confirmed that Kolesnikova, a key figure in the 2020 protest movement, and its chairman Bialiatski were among those freed.
“Ales Bialiatski is free,” Viasna announced on social media, adding that he was being transferred to Lithuania after spending 1,613 days in detention.
His wife, Natalia Pinchuk, told AFP that she had spoken with him and confirmed he was en route to Lithuania and in good condition.
Bialiatski, a veteran human rights activist and outspoken critic of Lukashenko’s government, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for his work defending civil liberties in Belarus.
President Alexander Lukashenko has imprisoned thousands of critics, opposition figures, and demonstrators since the disputed 2020 presidential election, which human rights organizations say was rigged and sparked widespread protests across the country.
State media, relatives, and rights organizations reported that 123 detainees—including foreign nationals—were released after a US envoy confirmed that Washington would ease certain sanctions on Minsk, a close ally of Russia.
Belarus’ state news agency Belta quoted officials as saying that the president approved pardons for “123 citizens of various countries.”
The human rights group Viasna confirmed that Kolesnikova, a key figure in the 2020 protest movement, and its chairman Bialiatski were among those freed.
“Ales Bialiatski is free,” Viasna announced on social media, adding that he was being transferred to Lithuania after spending 1,613 days in detention.
His wife, Natalia Pinchuk, told AFP that she had spoken with him and confirmed he was en route to Lithuania and in good condition.
Bialiatski, a veteran human rights activist and outspoken critic of Lukashenko’s government, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for his work defending civil liberties in Belarus.
