Lukashenko pardons 31 Ukrainian citizens held in Belarus
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Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens who were jailed in Belarus, and their transfer back to Ukraine is happening "right now," his press secretary, Natalia Eismont, said on Nov. 22.
The decision was made following an agreement reached by Lukashenko with U.S. President Donald Trump, at Ukraine's request, according to Eismont.
Ukraine confirmed that the exchange had taken place. Thirty-one Ukrainian citizens, aged from 18 to 58, had returned to Ukraine, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Nov. 22. It said that among the civilians released are those with serious illnesses, such as cancer, and that they were sentenced to imprisonment of two to 11 years in Belarus.
"We also thank all government agencies involved for their assistance and joint work," the Coordination Headquarters said on its website.
Eismont has not elaborated on the crimes that Minsk claims the Ukrainian citizens had committed. Similarily to its ally Russia, Minsk has arrested Belarusians and foreigners for freedom of expression, not only for the protests in 2020.
As of Nov. 22, at least 1,184 political prisoners remain in jail in Belarus, undergoing torture, discrimination, and isolation, Belarusian Human Rights Viasna said.
Lukashenko has agreed to a series of group pardons, including the release of Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's husband in June, as the Belarusian dictator attempts to mend relations with the West.
