Франак Вячорка. Скриншот видео
Political prisoners have begun to be released in Belarus following the visit of U.S. President’s Special Envoy John Coale to Minsk. This was reported by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s chief adviser Franak Viačorka.
According to him, on the morning of September 16, some families were informed that they could collect their relatives from places of detention.
Some of those released are expected to be expelled from Belarus, while others will be allowed to remain in the country, Viačorka wrote. The number and names of those being released have not yet been announced. As of publication, Belarusian authorities had not officially reported any releases.
John Coale arrived in Minsk on September 15 and held talks with Aliaksandr Lukashenka. The release of political prisoners was one of the main topics of the meeting. The sides also discussed a possible unfreezing of Belarusian funds in U.S. banks and further easing of sanctions.
Coale previously said he hoped to secure the release of several hundred more people. According to the Human Rights Center Viasna, as of September 16, 912 people in Belarus are recognized as political prisoners.