{"id":594395,"date":"2026-10-26T17:19:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T14:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reform.news\/?p=594395"},"modified":"2026-10-26T19:27:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T16:27:05","slug":"letter-of-discord-arguments-for-and-against-diplomacy-with-the-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/letter-of-discord-arguments-for-and-against-diplomacy-with-the-regime","title":{"rendered":"Letter of Discord: Arguments For and Against Diplomacy With the Regime"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An open letter from a group of former political prisoners<\/a> calling on European leaders to work towards the release of hostages held by the Belarusian regime through diplomacy was predictably met with a sharp division of opinion. This included disagreement among those who themselves were released from prison thanks to behind-the-scenes negotiations.<\/p>\n

Rouse the Humanitarians<\/h2>\n

I am not familiar with the criteria used to assemble the group of signatories, who was invited to sign first, or who was overlooked. Without wishing to offend the initiators, apart from a few names, most of those involved are not public figures. It is possible that some deliberately declined, anticipating the inevitable disputes that would follow.<\/p>\n

When I was approached, I agreed, guided solely by humanitarian considerations. Right now, additional prison terms are being imposed on people with whom I endured the torture chambers of detention centers \u2014 Aliaksandr Frantskevich, Ihar Alinevich, Andrei Budai, Tsikhan Osipau<\/strong> and dozens of other worthy people whose lives are at serious risk. The further their release is postponed, the greater the risk of irreversible physical and psychological damage.<\/p>\n

For me personally, this is not a matter of some civilizational choice, as if calling for increased external pressure were equivalent to betraying the ideals of democracy. Yes, sanctions are having an effect, forcing Lukashenka<\/strong> and his associates to look for ways to loosen economic and political constraints. This leverage must certainly be used, because it is practically the only argument the authorities in Minsk understand. But are all available tools being used?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the regime responds in the only way it knows how: by taking more people hostage. This has turned into a vicious cycle of trading human beings for concessions. Can this chain reaction be stopped? At the very least, we should try. That includes involving European envoys. It is not even certain that potential Belarusian \u201cpartners\u201d would be delighted by such a move. Nor is it clear how Moscow would react to a hypothetical \u201cthaw.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other hand, how is this fundamentally different from what the team of peacemaker John Coale<\/strong> is doing? The same trade concessions, with the added complications of forced expulsion and the inability to return home \u2014 something we hope will be temporary. For the most part, this approach is met with understanding: outside prison, the collective mind is incomparably more effective in confronting the same regime than it can be under round-the-clock surveillance.<\/p>\n

In essence, the methods of the US administration are just as controversial, with an unmistakable commercial undertone. Yet hundreds of political prisoners are already free. This has not been without unexpected complications: even the mandate of overseas visitors does not protect them from being cheated, as happened during their most recent visit in late September, when they were told to sign for 25 people instead of 200.<\/p>\n

Opponents of diplomatic efforts point to Ukraine’s experience. They argue that Kyiv’s objective is not to secure the release of prisoners of war, but to force the occupier to make peace at any cost. Bringing its people home is merely a bonus. Yet the exchanges that periodically take place on Belarusian territory are, however one looks at them, the result of negotiations. The process is even trilateral, because bringing all the interested parties together in a neutral location requires talks with the agencies headed by Tertel and Ryzhankou<\/strong> as well.<\/p>\n

Awaken Europe<\/h2>\n

What is so alarming about this letter of discord? Is such fierce polemic, with mutual accusations of deliberately surrendering one’s position, really warranted?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe call on the European Union and the United Kingdom to take an active part in securing the release of political prisoners and ending repression in Belarus.<\/strong> Please use every available means: diplomatic channels, negotiation formats, pressure and incentives, public and discreet work alike. Let these efforts be consistent and coordinated, and let the release of prisoners be a standing item on the agenda in every contact with Minsk and every discussion of the future of relations with Belarus.<\/em><\/p>\n

We are grateful to the United States, whose diplomacy has already brought freedom to hundreds. But we believe the European Union and the United Kingdom should play a more active role. Belarus is part of Europe, and it is your neighbour.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps these hopes are somewhat naive, especially given the cumbersome nature of European bureaucracy. Moreover, decades of complacency have left Europe itself facing the threat of a civilizational breakdown. There is therefore a strong chance that all these appeals will remain unheard cries of despair in the corridors of Brussels and Strasbourg. Europe has enough domestic problems of its own to deal with, without being distracted by Belarus, which is perpetually in distress.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most high-profile response was the public response<\/a> by former political prisoner Eduard Palchys<\/strong>. He said he had not been offered the opportunity to read the text and, accordingly, his name does not appear on the list. At the same time, he is convinced that on this sensitive issue, \u201cthere is no single approach that is right in every respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI find the naivety of those who keep throwing the idea into the public sphere that \u2018we’ll gradually start lifting sanctions, and everyone will be released\u2019 somewhat baffling. I don’t know how much ego or stupidity someone must have to think that anyone will simply sit down and negotiate with you for no reason. Especially when you have not only no serious leverage to exert pressure, but also an absolutely toothless position.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another question is how to free absolutely everyone \u2014 both Autukhovich<\/strong> and his people, the \u2018railway partisans,\u2019 and everyone else serving long sentences. The system has become so opaque that we may not even be aware of new political prisoners. And how do we stop new arrests? The machinery of repression is up and running, and it wants to feed. Personnel have been recruited, budgets approved, plans agreed upon. We need to think ahead and consider the other nine million people whom we are leaving in a vast penal colony called BSSR 2.0.<\/em><\/p>\n

Some may see parallels with the period from 2008 to 2010 or from 2015 to 2020. But that was an era of relative global stability, US dominance and the prevailing narrative of \u2018human rights.\u2019 Since February 2022, we have been living in a completely different world. I see no reason for the regime to initiate a \u2018thaw.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n

This is genuinely a difficult question. I myself feel guilty that I was lucky enough to be free while others were not. Yes, we must get everyone out \u2014 every last person. But I don’t want all our sacrifices to result in the country’s best people being expelled with no chance of returning, while no one even learns about new political prisoners.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Almost all commentators agree that the issue itself is painful and multifaceted. Many of them are former political prisoners themselves. Some have reacted quite combatively, while others are considering what mechanisms of pressure should be used against authorities that are inherently incapable of reaching agreements.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am 200% sure that other people are behind this letter and intend to use it for other purposes. The letter appeared just ahead of the decision on extending the EU sanctions policy \u2014 a response to the accusation that it does not call for sanctions to be lifted. And looking at the list, there are some signatories about whom there are very serious questions regarding their dealings with the regime. Overall, the impression is that many people signed without being fully informed, simply to lend the appeal credibility,\u201d<\/em> Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk<\/strong> commented.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegardless of who organized it, I think the letter is good, and even if it brings no benefit, it certainly will not do any harm. For my part, I see only one possible path to securing people’s release: FIRST increase the pressure, and only then negotiate. Negotiations should begin when Lukashenka himself feels such a need to make concessions that he is prepared to do so. That is when the time will come to end repression and release everyone. Before then, probably not,\u201d<\/em> believes Mikola Dziadok<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNegotiating with Lukashenka, whom I probably know better than almost anyone else, is possible only if strong pressure is brought to bear on him. Thankfully, the European Union understands this well today. Because the stakes for Europe include not only the fate of Belarusian political prisoners, but also the war Lukashenka is waging alongside Putin as an ally. And it is directed not only against Ukraine, but also against the West. That is why everything is so complicated. Negotiations are necessary, but we should not be naive about them,\u201d<\/em> believes Aliaksandr Yarashuk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Resolve the Dilemma<\/h2>\n

Marfa Rabkova<\/strong>, a human rights defender, former political prisoner and one of the initiators of the appeal, explained to Reform.news why many people learned about the letter through the media or only after the fact, amid heated discussions on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main reason so many people learned about the letter from published reports is the harsh reality of communication. Organizing a full-scale discussion involving all former prisoners is technically almost impossible, so initiatives are often developed by a small group at the initial stage. At the same time, it is important to emphasize our fundamental principle: we never divide political prisoners into \u2018prominent\u2019 and \u2018less prominent\u2019 people. Everyone suffers equally. The signed letter includes both more and less media-visible figures, and we are now openly inviting all former political prisoners who wish to do so to join the appeal. It is understandable that people feel emotional about this, because the issue of release affects everyone personally. However, this situation demonstrates how difficult coordination in exile can be, rather than anyone’s malicious intent.<\/em><\/p>\n

As for any possible resentment, I will repeat that anyone can join; there is no problem with that. In this appeal, we are all equal in our desire to help people and our country \u2014 there are no leaders and no followers.<\/em><\/p>\n

Naturally, the appeal has exposed the fundamental differences in views on how to secure the release of those held captive. Eduard Palchys’s position, which questions the effectiveness of such negotiations, and Palina Sharenda’s approach \u2014 \u2018first completely dismantle the regime, and only then deal with everything else\u2019 \u2014 reflect an understandable desire for justice. However, this is precisely where the fundamental dividing line between political ambitions and human rights ethics lies.<\/em><\/p>\n

With this letter, we have merely given momentum to an approach and a perspective on the problem that is being discussed more and more widely \u2014 among exiles, in prisons and among the relatives of political prisoners in Belarus.<\/em><\/p>\n

The fundamental essence of human rights work is that an individual human life is always unconditionally more important than any political calculations or lofty ideals. If saving people \u2014 especially those whose health is at risk \u2014 is proposed to be postponed in the name of \u2018preserving principles\u2019 or waiting for a convenient moment, that is no longer principled behavior, but cold and ruthless pragmatism. The duty of human rights defenders is to use every available opportunity to save a person here and now, without calculating political expediency. As long as there is no force capable of changing the system overnight, the price of waiting for a \u2018full-fledged victory\u2019 is measured in lost years, damaged health and the lives of real people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Marfa Rabkova points out that the letter explicitly stresses that the release of hostages held by the Belarusian regime must not be a one-off action: repression itself must end. As long as human life still matters, there is no alternative but to knock on every door and use every possible lever.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if European bureaucracy moves slowly and Europe itself has plenty of problems, we simply cannot afford to wait for the \u2018perfect moment.\u2019 This letter is not merely a cry of despair; it is a reminder of a basic humanitarian duty. We fully understand the geopolitical calculations, but our goal is to ensure that the release of people is not simply forgotten. Moreover, we can see that progress is being made, and the example of the American diplomatic track clearly shows that securing people’s release through diplomatic efforts is a reality, not an illusion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

At present, just over 70 people have signed the letter addressed to the European Union. The total number of people punished by the regime for dissent runs into the thousands. Many have already been released after serving their sentences, some have been forcibly expelled from the country, while hundreds continue to suffer in torture chambers for their dissent.<\/p>\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n

The author’s opinions and assessments may not reflect the views of the Reform.news editorial team.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An open letter from a group of former political prisoners calling on European leaders to work towards the release of hostages held by the Belarusian regime through diplomacy was predictably met with a sharp division of opinion. This included disagreement among those who themselves were released from prison thanks to behind-the-scenes negotiations. Rouse the Humanitarians […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":594396,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sharing_image":{"poster":"https:\/\/reform.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6adf7f5d69b00.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"template":"691142dd","mode":"auto"},"_sharing_image_fieldset":{"dTVKfmI95PYT":"Letter of Discord: Arguments For and Against Diplomacy With the Regime"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[142376,142339,142338,143090],"tags":[143174],"class_list":["post-594395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-comment","category-main","category-news","category-politics","tag-belarusskie-politzakljuchennye"],"wps_subtitle":"","permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594395"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":594401,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594395\/revisions\/594401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reform.news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}