Bialiatski spoke about the meeting with Cohl

Chairman of the Viasna Human Rights Center and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski met with US Special Envoy for Belarus John Cohl in Washington on September 8

Bialiatski said in an interview with "Voice of America" that he and Cohl have good relations.

"He is not an official, he approaches this matter largely from a human point of view. And, of course, I am very grateful to him for specifically getting me out of Lukashenka's prison. And in general, I would say, the conversation was warm.

I told him the latest news from Belarus, which, unfortunately, is not very cheerful. Again, detentions, arrests. Yesterday, a verdict was handed down to the lawyer who defended me in 2011, Dzmitry Layeuski. He received three years of actual imprisonment, and he was simply arrested and jailed in the courtroom.

Of course, we are very grateful that the American administration is dealing with Belarusian political prisoners. But for me personally, the main issue is to stop the repressions. Which is what I said yesterday during the presentation of the medal [from the National Endowment for Democracy]: our mission is not over, almost a thousand Belarusian political prisoners are currently in prison.

It is expected that a larger group will be released, but nevertheless, the number of people remaining in inhumane conditions in Belarusian prisons is in the hundreds.

And it is very important that this liberation process continues, and at the same time, a balance is maintained, because the problem with human rights and democratic freedoms in the country is very acute. And merely releasing political prisoners does not solve it.

The American administration is pursuing such a humanitarian track aimed at the release of political prisoners. I compare it to how one talks to bandits who have captured some people and negotiates with these bandits: give us 10 people - we will give you a car. Give us another 10 people - we will give you, for example, a helicopter.

It's a humanitarian release, effectively, of hostages who are in the hands of the Belarusian regime. But the situation is not easy, and, unfortunately, it's not possible to say that any positive changes have begun."

Bialiatski says that Lukashenka receives sanctions relief in exchange for the release of political prisoners.

"His latest statement that a ship loaded with potash fertilizers is heading to America - says that yes, some sanctions have been lifted.

I don't know how much I was traded for – a thousand tons, 10 thousand tons of these potash fertilizers. Here I am free; my freedom cost that much.

And at the same time, of course, a balance is important: what can be traded, and what cannot be given away. And my appeal, in contacts with American politicians, was, of course, that this balance must be taken into account and looked at under a magnifying glass, so as not to give away too much.

The regime is insidious, the regime is cunning; they are trying to maintain control over Belarusian society, primarily, of course, through repression.

But, on the other hand, they are going for this exchange because they are forced to. The economic situation is bad, there's complete political and economic isolation, and pressure has started on the Belarusian regime.

Russia cannot help economically as it did before. This is also a very serious factor why Lukashenka has started a separate game now with American diplomats and the American administration."

It is expected that Cohl will visit Minsk on September 15.

• 1
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0