A jailed Belarusian Nobel laureate was due to be released in a prisoner swap, supporters say
VILNIUS: Supporters of jailed Belarusian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Byalyaksky say the human rights activist should have been included in the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War on Thursday.
Allies of Byalyaksky and other imprisoned Belarusians are disappointed they were not included in the swap, in which eight Russians, including a convicted murderer, were exchanged for 16 prisoners in Russian and Belarusian prisons, many of them dissidents.
Some Russian dissidents freed in the exchange, including opposition activist Ilya Yashin, expressed anger or reservations on Friday at being deported from their country against their will.
Bialiatski, 61, who is serving a 10-year sentence for funding anti-government protests after a 2023 trial the US and European Union condemned as a “fraud”, will win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 – a year after his arrest.
“When we heard that the deal was about to happen, we hoped that one of the Belarusian political prisoners would be part of it. First of all, of course, the imprisoned winner of the Nobel Peace Prize,” said Alena Masliuková, a member of Viasna, a human rights organization founded by Bialiatski.
“It was a total disappointment and we still haven't gotten over it,” said Masliuk, who now lives in exile in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.
Among those released in the swap this week was German citizen Rico Krieger, who was sentenced to death on terrorism charges in Belarus, a close ally of Russia, where Viasna said 1,390 people are in prison for political reasons, many linked to mass protests . years ago.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, has faced major protests following a disputed 2020 presidential election, the biggest challenge to his rule.
He has long denied accusations of human rights violations.
Viasna says activists are still being brought to justice for their role in the protests, and Masliuk said political prisoners faced harsh conditions in prison.
“They are kept in cold cells, without contact with their relatives. They leave prison with damaged health,” she said.
Bialiatski voluntarily returned from exile to Belarus in 2021 despite knowing he likely faced arrest, which supporters said meant he might not be willing to leave the country again, a process that by law requires a prisoner to apply for clemency.
“I know his character and I'm sure there is no way he would ask Lukashenko for mercy,” said Siarhei Sys, a longtime friend. “I don't know what will happen in five years… It all depends on his health.”
