{"id":168013,"date":"2025-12-13T17:26:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T14:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/168013\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"lukasenka-frees-123-political-prisoners-including-prominent-activists-and-politicians","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/168013\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka frees 123 political prisoners, including prominent activists and politicians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>December 13,&nbsp;<em>Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has pardoned 123 political prisoners in a deal negotiated earlier in the day with US special envoy John Coale in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The group has been confirmed to include Maryja Kale\u015bnikava, a campaign manager for former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, human rights defenders Ale\u015b Bialacki, Valancin Stefanovi\u010d and U\u0142adzimir \u0141abkovi\u010d, Japanese national Nakanisi Masatosi, as well as Raman Ha\u0142uza, Illa Kniazie\u016d, Natalla Bielskaja and Via\u010das\u0142a\u016d Pap\u0161o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those released include five Ukrainians, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Babaryka and his associate, Maksim Znak, were also on the list of persons to be freed, but their release has not yet been confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All those released have been taken out of Belarus, said Dzianis Ku\u010dynski, opposition leader \u015aviat\u0142ana Cichano\u016dskaja\u2019s aide. Most of them are likely to be taken to Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In return, Washington is lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilizers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking to journalists outside of the US embassy in Vilnius, Ta\u0107ciana Chomi\u010d, Kale\u015bnikava\u2019s sister, welcomed the pardons, noting that the lifting of potash sanctions was a fair price. \u201cNothing costs more than the lives of people in prison,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coale is expected to arrive in the embassy soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kalijnye_udobrenija_-clearerimages_1128x752-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kalijnye_udobrenija_-clearerimages_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kalijnye_udobrenija_-clearerimages_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kalijnye_udobrenija_-clearerimages_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kalijnye_udobrenija_-clearerimages_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/kalijnye_udobrenija_-clearerimages_1128x752.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Economy<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Politics<\/label>\n\n                            <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Security<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Economy, Politics, Security<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Washington to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilizers &#8211; envoy<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">December 13,&nbsp;Pozirk. Washington is lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilizers, Belarus\u2019 state media reported citing John Coale, US special envoy who held talks with Aleksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in Minsk. He added that negotiations on other restrictive measures would continue, noting that &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/167979\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>December 13,&nbsp;Pozirk. Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has pardoned 123 political prisoners in a deal negotiated earlier in the day with US special envoy John Coale in Minsk. The group has been confirmed to include Maryja Kale\u015bnikava, a campaign manager for former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka, human rights defenders Ale\u015b Bialacki, Valancin Stefanovi\u010d and U\u0142adzimir \u0141abkovi\u010d, Japanese national [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":168026,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-168013","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u0141uka\u0161enka frees 123 political prisoners, including prominent activists and politicians | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"December 13,&nbsp;Pozirk. 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