Imprisoned Belarus Nobel laureate should have been released in prisoner exchange, supporters say
VILNIUS: Supporters of jailed Belarusian peace laureate Ales Bialiatski say the human rights activist should have been included in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War on Thursday.
Allies of Bialiatski and other jailed Belarusians are disappointed they were not included in the swap, in which eight Russians, including a convicted murderer, were exchanged for 16 prisoners in Russian and Belarusian prisons, many of them dissidents.
Some of the Russian dissidents freed in the swap, including Ilya Yashin, an opposition activist, expressed anger or reservations on Friday at being deported from their country against their will.
Bialiatski, 61, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for funding anti-government protests after a 2023 trial condemned by the US and EU as a “sham”, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 – a year after his arrest.
“When we heard that the agreement is imminent, we hoped that someone from Belarusian political prisoners would certainly be part of it. First of all, of course, the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate,” said Alena Masliukova, a member of Viasna – the human rights organization founded by Bialiatski .
“This was a total disappointment, and we still haven't gotten over it,” said Masliukova, who now lives in exile in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
Among those released in this week's swap was German national Rico Krieger who had been sentenced to death on terrorism charges in Belarus, a close ally of Russia where – according to Viasna – 1,390 people are in prison for political reasons – many linked to mass protests four several years ago.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, faced major protests after a disputed 2020 presidential election – the biggest challenge to his rule.
He has long dismissed accusations of human rights abuses.
Viasna says activists are still being brought before the courts for their role in the protests, and Masliukova said political prisoners faced harsh conditions in prison.
“They are kept in cold cells, without contact with relatives. They leave the prison with damaged health, she says.
Bialiatski voluntarily returned from exile to Belarus in 2021 despite knowing he was likely to be arrested, which supporters said meant he might not be willing to leave the country again, a process that legally requires the prisoner to ask for a pardon.
“I know his character and I am sure there is no way he would seek forgiveness from Lukashenko,” said Siarhei Sys, a longtime friend. “I don't know what will happen in five years … Everything depends on his state of health.”
