{"id":143843,"date":"2025-06-23T22:39:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T19:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/143843\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"wave-of-international-support-follows-release-of-jailed-belarusians","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/143843\/","title":{"rendered":"Wave of international support follows release of jailed Belarusians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

June 23, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that the release of Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski and 13 more Belarusian prisoners is good news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My thoughts today are with the many innocent people who are still being held in prison by the Belarusian regime. We will continue to campaign for their release,” Merz said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja’s website published dozens of reactions by leading European politicians to the liberation of the 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Dear Sviatlana, this is fantastic news and a powerful symbol of hope for all the political prisoners suffering under the brutal Lukashenka regime. Europe continues to call for their immediate release,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola called the liberation “wonderful news” and underscored that “our fight for all political prisoners in Belarus to be free will not stop here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The release of Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 other political prisoners marks a positive step after prolonged injustice. I welcome the US engagement that made this possible and share the joy of families reunited. But all political prisoners in Belarus must be freed,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 60 reactions were cited. The development was welcomed by Latvian President Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and the top diplomats of Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Estonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the website shared messages from members of the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and US Senate, as well as journalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, human rights organizations and others also issued statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The release of the 14 was reported soon after the US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, met with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka on June 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group included video blogger Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski, the husband of Belarusian opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja. It also included former Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty<\/em> journalist Ihar Karniej, prominent linguist Natalla Dulina, anarchist activist Akichira Haje\u016dski-Chanada, dual Belarusian-Swedish citizen Halina Kra\u015bnianskaja and businessman Siarhiej \u0160elieh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The others were opposition activist Kiry\u0142 Ba\u0142achona\u016d,\u00a0Estonian Allan Roio, Latvians Jurijs Ga\u0146ins and Dmitrijs Mihailovs and Pole Jerzy \u017bywolewski. The names of three foreigners remain unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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