The U.S. Can Quickly Release All Belarusian Political Prisoners
- Dmitri Bondarenko
- 21.06.2025, 20:33
The sanctions should be lifted after Lukashenka releases all prisoners of conscience.
Coordinator of the civil campaign "European Belarus" Dmitry Bondarenko commented to the Telegram channel "Basta!" on today's release of 14 political prisoners after the visit of the special representative of the US President Keith Kellogg to Minsk.
- I am very happy about the release of Sergei Tikhanovsky - his role in the beginning of the revolution was very significant.
The process is underway, and I think that the release of other political prisoners will continue. The arrival of the special representative of US President Donald Trump Keith Kellogg is a very interesting and significant event. It seems to me that this is the beginning of certain changes - at least in the lives of the families of Belarusian political prisoners.
Today, much depends on the United States of America. The United States was able to stop the conflict between the nuclear powers - India and Pakistan, between some African countries, but it can't stop the war in Ukraine or stop Iran's nuclear program.
But in the issue of the release of Belarusian political prisoners, I believe that the United States, personally President Trump, can play a decisive role. It is the US that can achieve the release of all Belarusian political prisoners as soon as possible.
The day before yesterday, we met with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kjastutis Budrys. At the end of the conversation he asked: "What would you like to convey to Special Envoy Kellogg?". Together with Charter'97 editor-in-chief Natalia Radina, we immediately responded: release all political prisoners.
He said that there are about 1300 people on the lists, but we claim that there are many more political prisoners. Some people are not on the official lists because they are under "house arrest," on "chemtrails," or in colonies, but have not been declared political prisoners.
We have always advocated tough sanctions and a tough approach. But we also say that after the release of all Belarusian political prisoners, sanctions against Lukashenko's regime can be lifted.