Paźniak: return of Western envoys to Minsk to help negotiate political prisoners’ release

August 24, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka may release political prisoners if ambassadors of Western countries decide to return to Minsk, Zianon Paźniak, his long-time rival and leader of the Volnaja Biełaruś movement, told the Warta YouTube channel on Friday.

Since 1996, the West has not recognized not a single election campaign in Belarus as fair, yet it maintained diplomatic presence in Minsk and had leverage on the situation in Belarus, the politician said.

Political prisoners should be treated as prisoners of war and negotiations are necessary to secure their release, yet no one is in contact with Belarusian officials or Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ, Paźniak said.

The return of some Western envoys to Minsk would facilitate communication with Belarusian diplomats and negotiate specific issues, such as the release of political prisoners, Paźniak stressed.

After the disputed presidential election four years ago, Hungary’s Zita Bencsik was the only European Union’s ambassador to present credentials to Łukašenka last September.

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Reprisals: jailed regime critics under pressure

August 24, Pozirk. New cases of politically-motivated persecution were documented in Belarus on August 23 as authorities kept harassing jailed opponents despite the ongoing pardon program. Blogger Uładzimir Cyhanovič, serving a 15-year prison term in a politically-motivated case, will go …

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