Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, after the US agreed to lift sanctions on the Eastern European country.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski is also among those who have been freed following talks in Minsk with US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, John Coale.
The US has agreed to lift sanctions on potash, a key ingredient in fertiliser and an important export for the country whose president, Alexander Lukashenko, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has decided to grant pardons to 123 citizens of various countries who were convicted of espionage, terrorism, and extremism, according to the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel, which is close to the press service of the Belarusian leader.
ReplyDelete"Within the framework of agreements reached with US President Donald Trump and at his request, in connection with the lifting of unlawful sanctions against the potash industry of the Republic of Belarus imposed by the administration of the previous US president, [Joe] Biden, and in light of the transition to the practical phase of the process of lifting other unlawful sanctions against the Republic of Belarus, the head of state has decided to pardon 123 citizens of various countries who were convicted, in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Belarus, of committing crimes of various types — espionage, terrorist, and extremist activities," the statement said.
The Telegram channel emphasized that the gesture was also made in response to requests from other heads of state and was guided by humanitarian principles as well as universal human and family values. "It is aimed at accelerating the positive dynamics in the development of relations with partner countries of the Republic of Belarus and serves the interests of stabilizing the situation in the European region as a whole," the statement noted.
ReplyDeleteThe EU has not recognised Lukashenko as president.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Pul Pervogo, the total number of pardoned individuals in recent times, including decisions taken by the Belarusian president in late November, amounts to 156 people. Among them are citizens of Australia, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, the United States, Ukraine, and Japan.
ReplyDeleteБелорусских оппозиционеров Марию Колесникову и Виктора Бабарико после освобождения отправили на Украину, пишут местные паблики. Там их встретил Буданов. Кадры показал украинский координационный штаб.
ReplyDeleteРанее Telegram-канал "Пул Первого" сообщал, что Лукашенко помиловал 123 граждан различных стран, осужденных за шпионскую, террористическую и экстремистскую деятельность.