Nine people pardoned by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Lithuania, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.
In total, Lukashenko pardoned 123 Belarusian and foreign citizens convicted of espionage, terrorism and extremism. The decision was made as part of an agreement with US President Donald Trump. In exchange, the US will lift sanctions on Belarus' potash carbonate.
According to the Belarusian human rights center “Vyasna“, of the 123 people released, 114 were taken to Ukraine (104 of whom are Belarusian citizens), and some went to Lithuania.
The center published an incomplete list of those released. Among them are:
The founder and chairman of “Vyasna“ Ales Bialiatski, who was sentenced in 2021 to ten years in maximum security prison on charges of tax evasion and organizing protests that “grossly violate public order“. In 2022, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with human rights centers in Russia and Ukraine. He was extradited to Lithuania.
Viktor Babariko, who ran for president in the August 2020 Belarusian elections and previously chaired the board of Belgazprombank for 20 years, was detained two months before the vote, along with his son Eduard, while filing documents with the Central Election Commission. In July 2021, the politician was sentenced to 14 years in a maximum-security prison on charges of bribery and money laundering. His son was sentenced in July 2023 to ten years in a maximum-security penal colony on charges of preparing actions to “grossly disrupt public order“, “inciting hatred and discord“ and tax evasion. Babariko's son is not on the list of those released.
Babariko's campaign manager, Maria Kolesnikova, was sentenced in September 2021 to 11 years in a maximum-security penal colony on charges of inciting actions against the national security of Belarus, “conspiracy to seize power by unconstitutional means“ and “creating or participating in an extremist group“.
Babariko's campaign lawyer, Maksym Znak, was sentenced in September 2021 to ten years in a maximum-security penal colony on the same charges as Kolesnikova.