Unaccounted-for Belarusian Political Figures Remain Absent
After a clemency announcement in July, Belarus' autocratic leader Lukashenko grants freedom to 30 political detainees who were implicated in anti-establishment rallies four years prior. Following the presidential decree, 14 females and 16 males were freed from incarceration. However, many prominent political prisoners are still missing and unaccounted for over 1.5 years. Their families are unaware if they are still breathing.
As part of the prison release, a few detainees are reportedly ailing, while others are elderly. They confessed to their actions and expressed remorse, allowing them a chance for rehabilitation before the nation.
In response to the arguably controlled voting process in August 2020, Lukashenko stormed pro-democracy protests with brutal suppression, and the opposition fended harsh persecution. Nearly 30,000 individuals have been detained since the elections, with numerous cases of torture and abuse that led to several fatalities. With the onset of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, opponents of the conflict have also been targeted. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus authoritatively for over three decades, stands as one of Putin's vital allies.
Lukashenko "pardons" terminally ill opponent
According to the human rights organization Viasna, over 1400 political detainees are imprisoned in Belarus, with the assumed actual count likely surpassing the figure. Thousands of citizens, mainly young and intellectually capable individuals, have felt compelled to leave the country. One of the political prisoners is Ales Bialiatski, the Viasna founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was imprisoned in 2021 and received a 10-year sentence in March 2023.
As reported by Viasna, 18 political detainees were released shortly after July 3 through clemency or pardon, including opposition politician Ryhor Kastusiou, who suffered from cancer and recently challenged Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential election. He was previously confined for several years following election loss.
Maria Kolesnikova's imprisonment and disappearance
Numerous political detainees languish behind bars under gruesome living conditions. Reports from former prisoners suggest they are subjected to beatings, torture, and frequent checks, as explained by activist Tatsiana Khomich, sister of imprisoned opposition political figure Maria Kolesnikova, in an ntv.de interview in March. "They often end up in the solitary confinement cell for minor offenses," she remarked.
Kolesnikova served as campaign manager for the promising opposition candidate Viktor Babariko in 2020. Following Babariko's imprisonment, she united with Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo to challenge Lukashenko. Kolesnikova was kidnapped by the KGB in September 2020 and later convicted to 11 years of incarceration. In February 2023, she vanished without a trace following an emergency surgery in prison. The authorities have withheld any information regarding her location or condition. "We don't know her whereabouts or her present condition; we don't even know if she is still alive," Khomich said during a March ntv.de interview.
No recent information has surfaced regarding prominent individuals such as Viktor Babariko, Sergei Tikhanovsky, Nikolai Statkevich, or Maxim Snak for over 18 months now.
Despite the clemency granted to some political detainees, the whereabouts and condition of many prominent figures, such as Maria Kolesnikova and Viktor Babariko, remain unknown, sparking ongoing protests against Lukashenko's regime.
The release of a few detainees has not deterred the continuation of protests, as the public demands the freedom of all political prisoners, including Maria Kolesnikova and Viktor Babariko.
