Political prisoners’ families call for extra effort to free loved ones

January 10, BPN. Family members of people imprisoned on politically-motivated charges in Belarus and former political prisoners urged world leaders to take more decisive action for the release of political prisoners.

It should include negotiations as well as both public and non-public diplomacy, they stressed.

“We are sorry to say that not enough has been done to free our loved ones,” their statement reads. “Political prisoners face bullying, humiliation and blackmail in prisons. They are restricted in their correspondence, deprived of visits and receiving parcels and are thrown into punishment cells. The yellow tags on their clothes and hard forced labor in the penal colonies are the punishment for dissent and desire to live in a free society in Belarus. Every day and every hour spent behind bars is torture for political prisoners and their relatives.”

The group includes Taćciana Chomič, sister of prominent imprisoned regime critic Maryja Kaleśnikava; Alaksandr Łojka, husband of imprisoned journalist Iryna Słaŭnikava; and Sviatłana Mackievič, wife of another prominent opposition activist and philosopher Uładzimir Mackievič. Twenty-nine persons have signed the appeal so far.

As of January 10, human rights defenders identified at least 1,441 political prisoners, but the real figure must be higher because, according to activists, some political detainees cannot contact them, or do not want to for fear of repercussions.