{"id":203800,"date":"2026-09-15T17:10:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T14:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/203800\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T17:10:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T14:10:39","slug":"lukasenka-denies-holding-political-prisoners-coale-agrees-citibank-should-return-frozen-funds-to-minsk","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/203800\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka denies holding political prisoners, Coale agrees Citibank should return frozen funds to Minsk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Belarusian leader's press office)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

September 15, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka and US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale had a three-hour meeting in Minsk on Tuesday, with the Belarusian ruler\u2019s press office reporting that he had denied the existence of political prisoners in Belarus, while Coale agreed that frozen funds held by US-based Citibank should be returned to Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking during the meeting, \u0141uka\u0161enka argued that there can be no \u201cpolitical prisoners\u201d in Belarus because \u201cno such article exists in our legislation,\u201d which divides all detainees into individuals under investigation and those serving sentences in correctional institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka accused his exiled opponents of spreading falsehoods about Belarus and convincing Coale that Belarusian authorities \u201carrest twice as many people\u201d as they release under deals with Washington. All processes in Belarus are under scrutiny, and the government therefore does not need to persecute its political opponents, he claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHowever, if a citizen of Belarus or a non-citizen present here breaks Belarusian laws, we will surely respond according to law,\u201d \u0141uka\u0161enka warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On September, Belarusian human rights defenders recognized 11 more individuals to be political prisoners, bringing their total to 912.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Viasna Human Rights Center, 224 people have been declared political prisoners since March 19, when 250 imprisoned dissidents were released following \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s talks with Coale. In addition, 138 people have been given the status of former political prisoners, as their persecution had previously been undocumented or they had not been added to the list of political prisoners at the request of their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reporting on \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s Tuesday meeting with Coale, the Belarusian ruler\u2019s press office quoted the US envoy as saying that the funds \u201cstuck\u201d in Citibank must be \u201cunfrozen and returned\u201d to Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have have requested from them as to why they are not releasing the money that we support one hundred percent should be released,\u201d Coale said in a video published by the press office. \u201cWhen we get that answer, then we will come back to them to make the mechanism to release the money or toward whatever is necessary to get that released.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka first mentioned the Citibank-held funds on September 11 while speaking to reporters ahead of Coale\u2019s visit. He made it clear that Belarus was already loading potash fertilizers for shipment to the United States and added that he expected Citibank to release some $43\u201344 million to a company that \u201ccooperated with us,\u201d apparently referring to funds frozen because of sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReturn the money, then we will negotiate more serious things with you,\u201d he said without elaborating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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