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The President of Belarus, Alexandr Lukashenko granted a pardon this Saturday to the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ales Bialiatski, and to two of the main imprisoned opposition leaders, Maria Kolésnikova and Viktor Babariko, according to the human rights organization Viasna and an official statement reproduced by the state agency BELTA.
The release occurred after consultations in Minsk over the last two days between Lukashenko and the White House envoy, John Cole, according to Viasna.
In parallel, the Belarusian Presidency announced the pardon of 123 individuals from different nationalities, in a decision that —according to BELTA— is part of agreements reached with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and is a response to the lifting of sanctions related to the potash sector.
Bialiatski, founder and leader of Viasna, had been disconnected for a long time after being transferred in May 2023 to prison number 9 in Gorki (Mogilev region), described by the text as a “tragically famous” jail for its harsh conditions.
The document adds that Amnesty International repeatedly requested his release: the 63-year-old activist suffers from chronic illnesses and yet—according to human rights organizations—was forced to work six days a week, in addition to being sent for months to solitary confinement, with restrictions on receiving packages and medications.
About María Kolésnikova, EFE reports that she was a close collaborator first of Babariko and then of the presidential candidate and opposition leader in exile, Svetlana Tijanóvskaya.
She was arrested following the anti-government protests in 2020, after attempts were made to forcibly transfer her to the border with Ukraine; however, she tore up her passport and refused to be deported. In 2021, she was sentenced to 11 years in prison for conspiring to seize power.
In the case of Víctor Babariko, the document describes him as a banker critical of the regime who was detained during the 2020 electoral campaign before he could register his presidential candidacy.
Among those released, the text also mentions other Viasna activists such as Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladz Labkovich, in addition to lawyer Maxim Znak, the editor of the portal Tut.by, Marina Zolatava, and political analyst Alexandr Fiaduta.
According to Viasna, among the foreign nationals who were pardoned are, among others, the Lithuanian Maria Batalionak, the Polish Raman Haluza, the Latvian Ala Sakalenka, the Japanese Nakanishi Masatoshi, the American Natallia Beslkaya, and the Australian Aliaksandr Syrytsa.
The Belarusian presidency stated —according to BELTA— that the measure applies to citizens convicted of various types of offenses, such as espionage, terrorism, and extremism, and aims to accelerate a “positive dynamic” in relations with the country's partners while contributing to the “stabilization” in Europe.
The report adds that, since last month, Lukashenko has reportedly pardoned 156 citizens from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Australia, Japan, Lithuania, and Latvia.
These pardons are situated within the context of the post-repression following the 2020 protests over allegations of electoral fraud and the subsequent increase in sanctions following Minsk's support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Despite recent pardons, human rights organizations claim that more than a thousand political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus.
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