May 3, Pozirk. Recent releases of regime critics in Belarus may create the illusion that the situation in Belarus is returning to normal, yet reprisals continue, Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja told a Belarusian diaspora conference in Warsaw yesterday.
This carries the risk that, instead of addressing underlying problems in full, Belarusian issues will be postponed, and the situation will remain unchanged, she said, urging pro-democracy forces and their partners to take action to prevent such an outcome.
A full amnesty, an end to all reprisals and the repeal of the passport decree that banned Belarusian diplomatic missions from renewing passports abroad are key steps needed to ensure that Belarusians can return home without fear, the politician stressed.
Politically-motivated reprisals in Belarus have been ongoing since the 2020 political crisis, with at least 838 political prisoners identified by rights defenders as of May 3. However, the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.
