{"id":128659,"date":"2025-03-05T12:26:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T09:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/128659\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lukasenka-says-he-is-ready-to-let-exiles-return-amid-reprisals","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/128659\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka says he is ready to let exiles return amid reprisals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Screenshot from Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka's interview to Mario Nawfal)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

March 5, Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka said he was ready to turn the page and let his exiled critics return in his interview to popular blogger and entrepreneur Mario Nawfal posted on X this morning. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs there any chance you could turn a new page and give those who got a bit too excited a second chance offering them a pardon, those that are exiled?\u201d Nawfal asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are already working on it. . . This is my task. The one who made a mistake, the one who was besotted, they must live in their homeland, build families and raise children. This is one of my responsibilities,” \u0141uka\u0161enka responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nawfal recorded the interview with the Belarusian ruler in late February. Just a few days later, \u0141uka\u0161enka demanded from officials unwavering support for the current government. \u0141uka\u0161enka essentially told his reappointed ministers to continue unmask and eradicate all \u201cenemies of the state who have been lying low for a while.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat kind of forgiveness can be there if a person breaks the law and does it deliberately?\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole nation saw that [regime critics] violated the law and order and opposed the state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politically-motivated reprisals have been ongoing in Belarus since the crackdown on 2020 postelection protests. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians were forced to leave the country fearing persecution over their political views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of March 5, human rights defenders identified at least 1,225 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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