Belarus releases more political prisoners

 

TT-AFP

 

Published 18.59

 

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1994. File photo. Photo: Anastasia Barashkova/AP/TT

Belarus continues to release political prisoners in an effort to persuade the US to ease sanctions against the country.

The government states that 13 political prisoners were pardoned on Thursday. Last week, 25 political prisoners were released after the US agreed to lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies.

On Monday, the US stated that it is "working on a comprehensive agreement" involving the purchase of potash from Belarus.

Belarus holds over 800 political prisoners, according to the Belarusian human rights organization Viasna. Many of them were arrested during mass opposition demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election in 2020.

Belarus has periodically released political prisoners over the past year. Late last year, opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski were released.