Belarusian prisoners’ appeal to EU exposes opposition divisions
October 28, Pozirk. Belarusian political prisoners’ appeal to the European Union to step up efforts to secure the release of jailed critics has stirred debate and exposed divisions within the opposition.
Belarusian pro-democracy leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja, in a video address posted on YouTube, assured the signatories that the EU and her camp have been doing their utmost, but the regime in Minsk is interested only in doing business with Europe rather than discussing the release of jailed dissidents.
Both the European Union and its member states put political prisoners at the top of their agenda, the politician said in response to the open letter signed by more than 120 people.
Just a few months ago, EU officials visited Belarus to discuss political prisoners, but Belarusian officials brushed the issue aside, as they had done at dozens of other meetings at various levels, Cichanoŭskaja said.
“For the past six years, not a single day has gone by without us speaking out about political prisoners. Throughout this time, we have managed to keep the issue on the international agenda in Brussels, Washington, Warsaw and Vilnius,” she stressed, pledging to do everything in her power to secure the release of dissidents and end reprisals in Belarus.
Years of effort and sanctions pressure have helped put political prisoners at the center of contacts with Minsk and secure releases, Cichanoŭskaja added. Pro-democracy forces remain committed to securing the release of dissidents, alongside humanitarian efforts by Washington and Brussels, she noted.
Engaging the regime in genuine dialogue and persuading it to change its policies are essential, the politician said, stressing the need to maintain pressure. The opposition is ready for roundtable talks with the authorities, but the regime is not, even though many officials within the system are reportedly also seeking a way out of the crisis, she added.
Maksim Znak, a lawyer and former political prisoner, welcomed the appeal, describing it as a way to draw attention to Belarus. Politically motivated reprisals are intensifying and taking new forms, making a proactive stance preferable to passively waiting for change, he told Pozirk on October 27.
Znak joined the signatories, urging Belarusian exiles to raise awareness of reprisals and transnational repression. Politically motivated persecution extends beyond the hundreds of political prisoners in Belarus to all citizens held hostage by the regime, including those who remain in the country without being imprisoned and those abroad who cannot return home, he stressed.
The open letter drew criticism from other former prisoners, including veteran opposition politician Mikałaj Statkievič, who interpreted it as a call to bargain over political prisoners. For Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime, such an appeal means more buyers and higher profits, he warned.
The signatories ignore the importance of values, including political freedoms and state independence, replacing them with the goal of ensuring physical survival at any cost, Statkievič added.
As of October 28, more than 120 people had signed the letter, including Siarhiej Cichanoŭski, husband of Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja; former presidential hopeful Viktar Babaryka; politician Maryja Kaleśnikava; media manager Andrej Alaksandraŭ; human rights activist Marfa Rabkova; and journalist Maryna Zołatava.
Some prominent former political prisoners did not join the initiative, including Nobel Prize laureate Aleś Bialacki, Pavieł Sieviaryniec of Belarusian Christian Democracy and activist Mikałaj Dziadok.
Belarus' former prisoners urge EU to do more to secure dissidents' release
October 26, Pozirk. More than 70 former Belarusian political prisoners have signed an open letter to the European Union and other democratic countries, urging them to step up efforts to secure the release of jailed critics of the Belarusian regime. …
