{"id":143640,"date":"2025-06-22T14:41:24","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T11:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/143640\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"cichanouski-asks-trump-to-help-free-all-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/143640\/","title":{"rendered":"Cichano\u016dski asks Trump to help free all political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski, \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja at press conference in Vilnius, June 22, 2025\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Pozirk)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

June 22, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski, pardoned yesterday after high-ranking US diplomat Keith Kellogg met with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in Minsk, has asked US President Donald Trump to help secure the release of all political prisoners in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One word from Trump may be enough to help liberate more than 1,170 people imprisoned in politically-motivated cases, he has told journalists in Vilnius at a joint press conference with his wife, Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka pardoned Cichano\u016dski, one of his main opponents, and 13 other prisoners in exchange for a meeting with Trump\u2019s envoy, she noted, adding that her team is now working on the release of another group of prisoners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from Cichano\u016dski, the group of 14 regime critics released yesterday includes\u00a0former\u00a0Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty<\/em>\u00a0journalist Ihar Karniej, prominent linguist Natalla Dulina, anarchist activist Akichira Haje\u016dski-Chanada, dual Belarusian-Swedish citizen Halina Kra\u015bnianskaja, businessman Siarhiej \u0160elieh, opposition activist Kiry\u0142 Ba\u0142achona\u016d as well as Estonian Allan Roio and Latvians Jurijs Ga\u0146ins and Dmitrijs Mihailovs. Warsaw also confirmed that three Poles were freed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cichano\u016dski and several others were immediately taken to Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police arrested presidential hopeful Cichano\u016dski two months before the 2020 election, as his sharp-edged campaign was gaining momentum and threatening to sweep \u0141uka\u0161enka from power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In late 2021, he was given 18 years in prison on several criminal charges, including organizing mass riots, inciting hatred and interfering in elections. Two years later, authorities added 18 months to his term for alleged misbehavior. Rights groups considered his persecution to be politically motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cichano\u016dski had been held incommunicado since early March 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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