There are currently more than 1 450 political prisoners serving time in Belarus, including 32 journalists. The amnesty announced by Belarusian authorities turned out to be a bluff calculated only for purposes of negotiating with the West. The amnesty did not result in release of a single prisoner incarcerated for political reasons.
Political trials resulting in long prison sentences have been accelerated. The following people are prominent cases of currently imprisoned people:
- Aleś Białacki – recipient of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, sentenced to 10 years in a penal colony.
- Andrzej Poczobut – journalist, leader of the Polish minority in Belarus. Sentenced to 8 years in a maximum-security prison.
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Paweł Łatuszka, Volha Kavalkova – leaders of the democratic Belarusian opposition. Sentenced in absentia to 15, 18, and 12 years in prison respectively.
- Daria Łosik, wife of imprisoned blogger Ihar Łosik – sentenced to 2 years in prison for giving an interview to Belsat TV.
We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned with the current situation and we condemn the imprisonment of political prisoners by the Belarusian government and call for an immediate release of the persons mentioned above and all others who are held captive for political reasons.
We urge the government of Belarus to fulfil its obligations under this statement and call for utmost restraint in terms of both actions and rhetoric.
We also call the international community to take action and prevent further imprisonment on political grounds in Belarus.
BJÖRN SÖDER (SD)
Head of OSCE-delegation
MARKUS WIECHEL (SD)
Head of PACE-delegation
ARIN KARAPET (M)
Head of IPU-delegation
ARON EMILSSON (SD)
Chair of Committee on Foreign Affairs
MAGNUS BERNTSSON (KD)
Member of Committee on Foreign Affairs
HÅKAN SVENNELING (V)
Member of Committee on Foreign Affairs
FREDRIK MALM (L)
Member of Committee on Education
BORINA ÅBERG (M)
Member of PACE-delegation
ALEXANDER CHRISTIANSSON (SD)
Member of PACE-delegation
GUSTAF GÖTHBERG (M)
Deputy member of PACE-delegation
JESSICA STEGRUD (SD)
Deputy member of PACE-delegation
MAGNUS OSCARSSON (KD)
Member of Committee on Transport and Communications
