{"id":123429,"date":"2025-01-26T13:24:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T10:24:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/123429\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lukasenka-justifies-incommunicado-detention-of-his-opponent-kalesnikava","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/123429\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka defends incommunicado detention of his opponent Kale\u015bnikava"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Raman Pratasievi\u010d's Telegram channel)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 26, Pozirk. <\/em><\/strong>Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has claimed that he <\/em><\/strong>authorized the meeting of imprisoned opposition activist Maryja Kale\u015bnikava with her father last year after her incommunicado detention for nearly 21 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dAccording to the law, her father had no right to meet with her. She is violating the [detention] regime. But I said, look, [this is] my request and my decision, demonstrate that she’s healthy and that she looks fine,\u201d he has told BBC<\/em>\u2019s Steve Rosenberg at a polling station in Minsk where he voted in Belarus’ seventh presidential election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarusian authorities \u201cdid not kick anyone out of the country,” \u0141uka\u0161enka noted, referring to the exiled opposition. \u201cWe are not vindictive people. I have already said, everyone [who left] will be given the opportunity [to return]. We have analyzed and know everyone’s role. If you break the law you will go to jail. Some realize that this is necessary and stay where they are. It’s democratic.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who talks too much in Belarus will end up behind bars, he threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kale\u015bnikava, whose resolute stance against the government has earned her significant admiration from opposition groups during the 2020 protests against election fraud, was given 11 years in prison and had been held incommunicado from February 2023 until late 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father could see her some three weeks after \u0141uka\u0161enka told BBC<\/em> he might consider a pardon request from her, if she submitted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some convicts are \u201cnot particularly eager to be released,\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka said today in a comment on political prisoners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Human rights groups identified at least 1,245 political prisoners in Belarus as of January 26 as \u0141uka\u0161enka, in power since 1994, wants to secure another term in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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