{"id":181188,"date":"2026-03-26T21:04:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181188\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T21:52:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:52:56","slug":"number-of-political-prisoners-surpasses-900-after-dropping-below-this-mark-for-first-time-since-2022","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/181188\/","title":{"rendered":"Number of political prisoners surpasses 900 after dropping below this mark for first time since 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

March 26, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Belarusian human rights defenders have declared 12 more individuals as political prisoners, taking their total to 910, according to a statement on the Viasna Human Rights Center\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new entries are Alena Safronava, Volha Bu\u0142anava, D\u017amitryj Kavalo\u016d, Vital Ci\u0161\u010danka, Arciom \u0160mano\u016dski, Ja\u016dhien Skarachod, Viktar Antu\u0161evi\u010d, Siarhiej Rabca\u016d, Alaksandr Manvielan, Siarhiej Ku\u017aniaco\u016d, Eduard Mihun and Ma\u0107viej Barana\u016d. They were all charged with involvement with \u201cextremist\u201d groups and are currently held in either pretrial detention centers or correctional institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Viasna Human Rights Center, Belarusian PEN, Barys Zvozska\u016d Human Rights House, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Belarusian Helsinki Committee, Pravavaja Inicyjatyva and Lawtrend signed the declaration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rights defenders demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners and the end of reprisals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On March 19, US Special Envoy John Coale announced that 250 political prisoners were to be released following his talks with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka. For the first time since 2022, the number of designated political prisoners dropped below 900.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of March 18, human rights defenders had identified at least 1,140 political prisoners, but the real number was considerably higher because of many undocumented cases. Despite the pardons and the releases of hundreds of people upon completion of their terms, the overall number of political prisoners in Belarus averaged 1,150 for many successive months. Human rights defenders pointed to new additions to their list of political prisoners as proof that politically motivated persecution in Belarus continues unabated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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