Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski was released after over four years in Belarusian prison, where he endured inhumane conditions and political repression. His release was part of a prisoner swap linked to Belarus's economic negotiations with the US. Bialiatski plans to continue advocating for Belarusian political prisoners and human rights, despite the challenging political environment and ongoing repression in Belarus.
Belarus released 123 prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition leaders, as part of a deal with the US involving sanctions relief and improved diplomatic relations.
Concerns have been raised over the safety of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, who has not been heard from in over a month, according to a friend. Bialiatski is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in Belarus, where he was jailed in 2021 amid mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko’s government. His wife reported that he has been in “an information blackout” since he was moved to a “colony for repeat offenders” in Gorki. The international community, including over 100 Nobel laureates, have called for his release.
Ales Bialiatski, a Nobel peace prize laureate and Belarus's top human rights advocate, has been transferred to a notoriously brutal prison in Belarus and has not been heard from in a month. His wife is concerned about his health and urged the UN to intervene. Bialiatski is serving a 10-year sentence for charges of financing actions violating public order and smuggling. The harsh punishment of Bialiatski and three of his colleagues was a response to massive protests over a 2020 election that gave the authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, a further term in office.
