The head of a banned opposition party, who was behind bars for two years, was released as the country freed some political prisoners, according to Belarusian media.
Mikalai Kazlou, who led the United Civic Party, was serving a sentence of two and a half years in prison on charges of organising actions violating public order. His arrest came amid large demonstrations. The protests followed the 2020 presidential election, whose results gave Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term.
Many prominent opposition figures were imprisoned as part of the crackdown, while others fled the country, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko’s main election rival. The Belarusian Supreme Court banned the United Civic Party a year after Kazlou’s arrest.
In early July, Lukashenko granted amnesty to some seriously ill political prisoners. So far, 19 of them have been released. However, 1,377 remain in prison, according to Viasna. The prisoners include the founder of the group Ales Bialiatski.
Activists claim that the authorities allegedly deprive political prisoners of medical care, transfers, and meetings with lawyers and relatives.
Lukashenko’s release of sick political prisoners indicates that he may be trying to improve relations with the EU and the United States ahead of his re-election next year, Belarusian analysts suggest. He also recently waived visa requirements for European Union citizens arriving by rail and road.
