Łukašenka denies holding political prisoners, Coale agrees Citibank should return frozen funds to Minsk

September 15, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka and US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale had a three-hour meeting in Minsk on Tuesday, with the Belarusian ruler’s press office reporting that he had denied the existence of political prisoners in Belarus, while Coale agreed that frozen funds held by US-based Citibank should be returned to Belarus.

Speaking during the meeting, Łukašenka argued that there can be no “political prisoners” in Belarus because “no such article exists in our legislation,” which divides all detainees into individuals under investigation and those serving sentences in correctional institutions.

Łukašenka accused his exiled opponents of spreading falsehoods about Belarus and convincing Coale that Belarusian authorities “arrest twice as many people” as they release under deals with Washington. All processes in Belarus are under scrutiny, and the government therefore does not need to persecute its political opponents, he claimed.

“However, if a citizen of Belarus or a non-citizen present here breaks Belarusian laws, we will surely respond according to law,” Łukašenka warned.

On September, Belarusian human rights defenders recognized 11 more individuals to be political prisoners, bringing their total to 912.

According to the Viasna Human Rights Center, 224 people have been declared political prisoners since March 19, when 250 imprisoned dissidents were released following Łukašenka’s talks with Coale. In addition, 138 people have been given the status of former political prisoners, as their persecution had previously been undocumented or they had not been added to the list of political prisoners at the request of their families.

Reporting on Łukašenka’s Tuesday meeting with Coale, the Belarusian ruler’s press office quoted the US envoy as saying that the funds “stuck” in Citibank must be “unfrozen and returned” to Belarus.

“We have have requested from them as to why they are not releasing the money that we support one hundred percent should be released,” Coale said in a video published by the press office. “When we get that answer, then we will come back to them to make the mechanism to release the money or toward whatever is necessary to get that released.”

Łukašenka first mentioned the Citibank-held funds on September 11 while speaking to reporters ahead of Coale’s visit. He made it clear that Belarus was already loading potash fertilizers for shipment to the United States and added that he expected Citibank to release some $43–44 million to a company that “cooperated with us,” apparently referring to funds frozen because of sanctions.

“Return the money, then we will negotiate more serious things with you,” he said without elaborating.

Politics

Politics

Rights groups name 11 new political prisoners as repression continues unabated despite Washington-Minsk engagement

September 15, Pozirk. Belarusian human rights defenders have declared 11 more individuals as political prisoners, taking their total to 912, says a joint statement by the rights groups. The rise in the number of prisoners indicates that repression in the …

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