Скриншот видео "Радыё Свабода"
Belarusian political prisoners have arrived in Vilnius. Earlier it was reported that 15 people would be brought to Lithuania. Among those who came to meet journalists are journalist Katsiaryna Bakhvalava (Andreyeva), human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovic, Mikita Zalatarou, who was detained at the age of 16, and blogger Eduard Palchys. A live stream from the scene is being broadcast by Radio Svaboda.
Katsiaryna Andreyeva thanked US President Donald Trump and his special envoy John Coale for her release, expressed gratitude to the Lithuanian side for receiving them, and voiced ‘restrained gratitude’ to the Belarusian side. She expressed hope that releases would continue, recalled that her husband Ihar Ilyash remains behind bars, and said that securing his release would become her life’s mission.
Valiantsin Stefanovic said that they were transported from Mahilyou to a detention centre in Minsk wearing hats so they could not see anything and in handcuffs. He said he feels well. During his imprisonment, he was unable to correspond with his wife and children, who were abroad, and only maintained contact with his mother and sister. Stefanovic said he intends to return to human rights work and stressed the need to continue fighting for the release of political prisoners and to achieve a moratorium on political persecution.
Eduard Palchys said that Lithuanian customs promptly issued visas to the Belarusian political prisoners and expressed gratitude for this. According to him, at the initial stage of his imprisonment he felt support from outside, but later a regime of isolation set in, and some news reached him with a delay of two to three years. He said the journey to Lithuania took place in two stages: on March 18 he was taken from Mahilyou to Kaliadzichy, and today to Lithuania.
Mikita Zalatarou, now 21, spent five years and seven months in detention and suffers from epilepsy. He said that three days ago he was on IV drips in a hospital and learned about his release ‘on the spot’.