(RepublicanDaily.org) – Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko has released fewer than ten of the thousands of pollical prisoners it currently has incarcerated, ostensibly in a bid to improve his global image ahead of a record seventh re-election campaign next year.
Lukashenko, who has been the country’s president for six straight terms, ordered the release of Mikalai Kazlou, the leader of the country’s opposition United Civic Party. The party was outlawed after Kazlou was imprisoned, with the government launching a massive offensive against oppositionists after Lukashenko’s sixth presidential win in 2020. Many leaders of the opposition party were imprisoned while others, such as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who challenged Lukashenko in 2020, fled the country. Tsikhanouskaya escaped to Lithuania, and continues to be active in the opposition against the Belarusian dictator.
Kazlou was imprisoned on charges of disturbing public order, and was ordered to serve out a 2-and-a-half-year jail term. His release follows the freeing of five other political prisoners earlier this month. Some of the released prisoners were already suffering from serious illnesses, such as 67-year-old Rygor Kastusev, who has been diagnosed with cancer. He ran against Lukashenko in 2010.
Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the news of the release of the prisoners, but said that 200 more political prisoners in Belarus’ jails are suffering from serious illnesses. Belarusian human rights watchdog Viasna says that the Lukashenko administration still has more than 1,300 political prisoners in its custody, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, who founded the United Civic Party. There have also been reports that the prisoners are being tortured and deprived of basic rights while in jail, and are often denied visits from lawyers and loved ones. Food and medical care for political prisoners has also reportedly been withheld at times. Tsikhanouskaya has also warned that Lukashenko’s supposed “dream” is to join Belarus with Russia again.
“It is his childhood dream to live in single state with Russia”, the opposition leader said.
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