The U.S. Department of State welcomed the release of several Belarusian political prisoners, calling it a step in the right direction but noting that thousands of political prisoners remain behind bars.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Aleh Hurzdzilovich was among those released, according to a Sept. 25 statement.
“The United States welcomes the release of several political prisoners in Belarus including Aleh Hurzdzilovich, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist,” Price said in the statement. “While the release of these political prisoners is a step in the right direction, too many political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.”
Unrest began in Belarus following the August 2020 election which the State Department said has been labeled “fraudulent,” a DOS fact sheet reported. Alyaksandr Lukashenka won a sixth term over popular opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Thousands were arrested and detainees were reported as being tortured after massive protests.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported March 4 that Hruzdzilovich was originally on trial and imprisoned for covering three protests regarding the 2020 elections. Hruzdzilovich was accredited by the Foreign Ministry at one demonstration, and as a correspondent for the Narodnaya volya (People’s Will) newspaper at two other protests. Judges barred supporters, friends and colleagues of Hruzdzilovich from attending his trial.
“His only ‘crime’ was reporting the truth to Belarusians who are now denied that truth by their government,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Jamie Fly said in the report.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in January that “tens of thousands” innocent Belarusians have spent time in jail following the election in 2020, according to a news release. Blinken said many prisoners were subjected to torture, and others who suffer from serious illnesses and disabilities have been denied medical care. Dozens of lawyers have had their licenses revoked or have been jailed themselves for representing prisoners or opposition figures.
