{"id":143649,"date":"2025-06-22T16:15:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T13:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/143649\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"uks-starmer-cichanouskis-release-a-moment-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/143649\/","title":{"rendered":"UK\u2019s Starmer: Cichano\u016dski\u2019s release \u201ca moment of hope\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (pixabay.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

June 22, <\/strong>Pozirk.<\/strong> <\/em>The release of Belarusian opposition figure Siarhiej Cichano\u016dski represents a moment of hope, reminding that \u201cdemocratic values cannot be silenced,\u201d British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cichano\u016dski and 13 other prisoners, convicted on charges widely seen as politically motivated, were pardoned yesterday, shortly after Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, met with Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka in Minsk. Some of the released people were immediately taken to Lithuania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvia\u2019s President Edgars Rink\u0113vi\u010ds also shared his joy about the release of Cichano\u016dski, who could reunite with his family in exile. \u201cThis was very much awaited and long overdue moment,\u201d he said. \u201cSiarhiej should have never been imprisoned just for wanting to make Belarus a better country in a democratic way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from Cichano\u016dski, the group of 14 prisoners released yesterday, includes former Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty<\/em> journalist Ihar Karniej, prominent linguist Natalla Dulina, anarchist activist Akichira Haje\u016dski-Chanada, dual Belarusian-Swedish citizen Halina Kra\u015bnianskaja, businessman Siarhiej \u0160elieh, opposition activist Kiry\u0142 Ba\u0142achona\u016d as well as Estonian Allan Roio and Latvians Jurijs Ga\u0146ins and Dmitrijs Mihailovs. Warsaw also confirmed that three Poles were freed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European politicians welcomed Minsk\u2019s move but called for the release of all jailed Belarusian regime critics.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of June 22, human rights defenders identified at least 1,177 political prisoners in Belarus but the real number may be considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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