Relatives of Belarus' political prisoners complain that East-West swap didn't free their loved ones

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A wave of disappointment swept over opposition activists in Belarus last week as the biggest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War unfolded and they learned it included none of the hundreds of political detainees who've been locked up for years by its authoritarian leader.

That dismay is especially poignant since Friday marks the fourth anniversary of the 2020 election — widely seen at home and abroad as fraudulent — that gave President Alexander Lukashenko his sixth term. That disputed balloting touched off the biggest protests and crackdown on dissent in Belarus in its post-Soviet history.

The Viasna human rights group estimates Belarus has about 1,400 political prisoners, including its founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Like many top opposition figures, Bialiatski is being held incommunicado.

“I am happy to see the Russians released, but I’m shocked that no one remembered about the fate of Belarusian political prisoners,” Bialiatski's wife, Natalia Pinchuk, told The Associated Press. “I hope it was just the first round of the game involving the West, and Belarusians will also be freed following representatives of Russia.”

The only prisoner freed from Belarus in the Aug. 1 swap was Rico Krieger, a German medical worker who was arrested there last year on terrorism charges. He was among 16 imprisoned Westerners and Russian dissidents traded for eight Russians held abroad.

Viasna has raised the issue with Western diplomats, listing over 30 political prisoners who need to be released as a priority, according to the group's representative, Pavel Sapelka.

He said some Western countries have held confidential discussions with Lukashenko’s government, although he did not provide details.

The wait is excruciating for Pinchuk, who gets only occasional messages that Bialiatski is alive. She says his health has “significantly worsened,” he is barred from getting medications and is repeatedly placed in solitary confinement in his 10-year sentence on charges of financing the 2020 protests.

At least six political prisoners have died in custody.

Western governments know the harsh conditions in which her husband and others are held, "but I’m unaware that any Belarusian names were discussed as part of the exchange,” Pinchuk said.

Tatsiana Khomich, the sister of imprisoned opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, had hoped to see her freed in the exchange.

“Obviously there was a window of opportunity for freeing Belarusians, because Minsk was involved in the scheme and took part in negotiations with Berlin regarding Krieger,” Khomich told AP. “But Western politicians couldn’t or didn’t want to use that window.”

With her short hair and vibrant smile, Kolesnikova was known for appearing at Minsk demonstrations and forming a heart with her hands. She was arrested in September 2020 after defiantly tearing up her passport at the border when authorities tried to deport her.

Khomich said she hasn’t heard from her sister for 1½ years. Kolesnikova, 42, who is serving 11 years in a particularly harsh prison, underwent surgery and was gravely ill, with her weight dropping to about 45 kilograms (99 pounds), her sister said.

“It has become obvious that neither Belarus nor Belarusian prisoners are a priority for Western partners,” Khomich said. “And it’s a very alarming signal for us.”

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said Washington “remains deeply concerned” about Lukashenko’s crackdown.

“We will continue to support the people of Belarus as they stand up for their democratic future, human rights, and freedom of expression,” he said.

Kolesnikova was charged with helping organize the mass protests of the Aug. 9, 2020, election that lasted for months. Over 35,000 people were arrested and thousands were beaten. Many opposition figures were convicted and given long prison terms, while others fled abroad.

One who was forced to leave was opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who said she admired Kolesnikova’s courage.

“We haven’t won yet, but we haven’t been defeated, because people haven’t given up,” Tsikhanouskaya told AP. “Many Belarusians are continuing resistance, thousands are paying a price for freedom in prisons. It became clear in 2020 that Lukashenko lost support of the majority of Belarusians.”

Tsikhanouskaya’s husband, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, was arrested after challenging Lukashenko in the election. She ran in his place, but was forced to flee the country. Tsikhanouski was sentenced to 19½ years.

Tsikhanouskaya, who has been lobbying Western leaders against Lukashenko, also expressed disappointment that no Belarusians were freed in the swap.

“Lukashenko is afraid of freeing political prisoners; he’s holding them hostage,” she said. “He’s probably feeling insecure and is afraid of showing weakness. He may fear that releasing political prisoners will encourage Belarusians to fight.”

But she is not giving up efforts for their freedom.

“Together with Western partners, including the U.S., Germany and Poland, we are looking for mechanisms to set them free,” she said. “But the pressure on the Belarusian leader may not have been enough to make him move. Repressions are only escalating.”

Tsikhanouskaya said the Kremlin helped Lukashenko survive the protests and he “is now paying back for that support with the country’s sovereignty.”

Lukashenko, who this year marked three decades in power, allowed Russian troops to use Belarus’ territory to invade Ukraine in 2022 and let Moscow deploy some tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Pavel Latushka, Belarus’ former culture minister and now an exiled opposition activist, told AP he has written to German lawmakers about Belarus' human rights issues. He was convicted of various anti-government charges in absentia by a Minsk court.

Lukashenko, he said, was only fulfilling the wishes of Russian President Vladimir Putin by releasing Krieger in the swap.

“We can’t communicate with Putin," Latushka said. "The single channel of communications we have is representatives of Germany and other Western governments, who are well-informed of the horrible condition of political prisoners in Belarus.”

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said efforts continue to free Belarusian political prisoners, including journalist Andrzej Poczobut, a member of Belarus’ sizable Polish minority.

But Belarus demanded Latushka’s extradition in exchange for releasing Poczobut, said former Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński

According to Viasna's Sapelka, over 50,000 Belarusians have been subjected to political repression in the past four years.

In July, Belarusian authorities released 19 political prisoners who were gravely ill, including opposition leader Ryhor Kastusiou, suffering with cancer. But Sapelka noted that authorities "have arrested three times as many activists to fill prison cells.”

“Repressions in Belarus are only intensifying, the number of police raids and arrests grows,” he said. “Belarusians badly need support and solidarity from Western countries, not only in words but also in deeds.”

Now that Lukashenko is seeking another term next year, analysts don’t expect him to free any more prisoners anytime soon.

“Lukashenko has been unable to overcome his fear and get rid of the 2020 trauma, so next year’s presidential election will be held in a tough repressive environment, amid suppression of any activism and overfilled prisons,” said Valery Karbalevich, an independent analyst. “Lukashenko will use political prisoners solely for bargaining with the West and only to an extent that the Kremlin would allow.”

He said the failure to include any Belarusian political prisoners in the latest exchange shows the issue is not seen as a priority by the West.

“It’s obvious that Belarus has begun to disappear from the Western agenda after a four-year journey from the front pages of international media to sadly waning interest in the fate of thousands of Belarusian political prisoners,” Karbalevich said.

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AP journalists Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed.