Скриншот видео "Радыё Свабода"
Advisor to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Franak Viačorka, believes that the release of 25 political prisoners following the visit of U.S. President’s Special Envoy John Coale to Minsk is not the end of the process. In his view, the Belarusian authorities may have put forward additional conditions for the release of the remaining prisoners. He made the remarks during a special broadcast by Radio Svaboda from a meeting with the released political prisoners in Lithuania.
“John Coale did an excellent job, as usual, and people are free. Yes, it is not the number that was announced, but I think this is not the end. John Coale himself explained that there are certain conditions from Minsk for the remaining people to be released. And I think it will become clear in the coming days and weeks.
John Coale himself promised to explain in the near future. Perhaps this is related to Lukashenka’s conditions for unblocking financial funds and assets. It may be related to certain sanctioned enterprises. It is clear that Lukashenka always wants to have the last word — to change the lists, not to provide what he promised,” Viačorka said.
According to him, the U.S. delegation traveled to Minsk with certain expectations and agreements, so he expects negotiations to continue.
“But I am sure that this process will continue. We are in contact with the Americans, and they are doing this for us. They are freeing our people. And the fact that this has become a priority for the U.S. administration — I think this is the achievement of human rights defenders, journalists and democratic forces. The fact that the Americans have made the issue of political prisoners one of their foreign policy priorities,” the advisor said.
According to him, the special envoy is “attentive” to information about ongoing repression in Belarus and is aware of the situation involving the relatives of those released and their documents.
“John Coale said in an interview with Voice of America a couple of days ago that he speaks and consults with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and representatives of civil society and human rights defenders. He is very attentive, he listens very carefully, he pays attention to details, he knows that people are still being imprisoned and that repression is continuing. It is no coincidence that Lukashenka was forced to justify himself at the beginning of this meeting.
He knows that the relatives of those who were taken out of the country are being persecuted. Although it was expected that those political prisoners who were released and ended up in Poland or Lithuania would not be targeted. He is also raising issues concerning documents. They know and understand perfectly well the political climate in Belarus, which has not changed. But they are doing the maximum within the possible. In other words, they are extracting the maximum benefit for all of us so that people can be free. The next stage will then be for people to be able to return home. But first, let us make sure that people are not in prison,” Viačorka stressed.
25 people were released on September 16, 2026, as a result of the efforts of U.S. President’s Special Envoy John Coale.