Opposition reacts to Minsk’s luring of emigrants by demanding freedom for “humanitarian” prisoners

January 24, BPN. The opposition’s social care secretary, Volha Harbunova, has urged Minsk to release most vulnerable political prisoners.

Her statement comes in response to the authorities’ recent idea to set up a commission that would filter political emigrants willing to return to Belarus.

“Human rights activists have prepared a ‘humanitarian list of political prisoners,’ which includes people with disabilities, serious illnesses, pensioners, minors, parents with many children, and women. They should not be behind bars for humanitarian reasons. Free these people and show us that you are actually ready to ‘take a step forward,’” Harbunova said, as quoted by the opposition cabinet’s press office.

The politician recalled that “hundreds of people wrote letters for pardon – and this is a difficult moral choice – and only a few were released; even requests from people with disabilities and elderly people have been ignored.”

In spite of the authorities’ declared willingness to “let former protesters into the country,” the reality is that “many people are being detained at the border with Belarus on far-fetched charges,” Harbunova said.

“So far, we see that the regime says exactly the opposite of what it does in the dark corner. At the same time, it tries to look like a benefactor, like it always does,” she added.

Following a meeting with Alaksandr Łukašenka on January 24, Prosecutor General Andrej Švied said “a fundamental decision has been made” to create an interagency commission that will deal with political emigrants wishing to return to Belarus.

A source told BPN that at a briefing for EU diplomats in Warsaw on the same day, head of the opposition cabinet Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja urged international organizations to push for the release of 150 political prisoners requiring immediate medical attention.