Belarusian authorities pressure pardoned political prisoners, rights groups say

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TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian human rights activists Monday accused the government of pressuring political prisoners who have been pardoned by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko and forcing them to cooperate with authorities.

During the past three months, Lukashenko has pardoned 115 activists who were convicted for taking part in the protest against his rule.

Those pardoned were a small fraction of more than 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus, according to the Viasna human rights center. They include the group’s founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and Polish newspaper journalist Andrzej Poczobut, whose release Poland is seeking. At least six political prisoners have died behind bars, Viasna said.

Viasna and other rights groups said Monday that those amnestied were barred from leaving the country and forced to take part in propaganda videos.

Andrei Stryzhak of the BYSOL rights group said that some of the amnestied had their phones infested with software intended to spy on the opposition. “We categorically condemn the authorities’ pressure on the former political prisoners,” he said.

Viasna representative Pavel Sapelka said the Belarusian law enforcement agencies have threatened those amnestied with repeat conviction or reprisals against their relatives to force them to cooperate with the authorities.

In 2020, Belarus was rocked by its largest-ever protests following an election that gave Lukashenko a sixth term in office but was condemned by the opposition and the West as fraudulent. According to Viasna, 65,000 people have been arrested since the protests began and hundreds of thousands have fled Belarus.