{"id":205913,"date":"2026-10-02T11:29:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/205913\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T11:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:30:00","slug":"alaksandrau-jailed-dissidents-do-not-lose-hope-of-freedom","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/205913\/","title":{"rendered":"Alaksandra\u016d: jailed dissidents do not lose hope of freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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October 2, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Hundreds of jailed Belarusian dissidents continue to hope for processes that could set them free, reunite them with their families and allow them to return to a normal life, said media manager Andrej Alaksandra\u016d (Andrei Aliaksandrau). \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countries that imprison journalists and civil society activists seek to isolate them and make them feel that no one cares about their fate, he told a discussion in Oslo with the winners of the 2026 and 2025 Free Media Awards. Alaksandra\u016d, released and deported from Belarus earlier this month after many years in prison, was honored with this year\u2019s Free Media Award on September 29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImmediately after my arrest, law enforcement officials made it clear to me: \u2018You know, there are leaders of the protest movement who might be taken care of in the West, but you are a nobody, no one knows you, and you\u2019ll spend your 14 years in prison.\u2019 That was their main message,\u201d the journalist said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Alaksandra\u016d said he always knew he was not alone, with substantial efforts underway to support jailed Belarusian dissidents. He said solidarity and support gave him hope and confidence that things would eventually improve, even if he had to spend time in prison, stressing that he knew what he was standing up for and considered those values more important than his personal hardships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaksandar\u016d, former deputy director general of the now-defunct\u00a0private news agency\u00a0BelaPAN<\/em>, was arrested in early 2021. In October 2022, he was given 14 years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated, including high treason, tax evasion and organizing actions grossly disturbing public order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the 2020 peaceful protests against election fraud, Belarusian authorities have equated criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression with extremism and terrorism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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