ANTONY J. BLINKEN, EXTERNAL SECRETARY
The Lukashenka regime now holds more than 1,000 political prisoners. These Belarusians from all walks of life have been arrested and jailed simply for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly in response to electoral fraud and the abuses of the Lukashenka regime. Tens of thousands more innocent Belarusians have also been serving time in prison since and leading up to the fraudulent presidential election in August 2020.
Since August 2020, the United States, in coordination with allies and partners, has imposed five rounds of sanctions against officials and supporters of the brutal Lukashenka regime. These sanctions will remain in effect until the authorities end their relentless suppression of the Belarusian people, including the unconditional release of all political prisoners.
Each of these 1,000 prisoners is an individual being deprived of their liberty. While some of the political prisoners are well known to the public, each one is known and missed by family, friends and colleagues. We find that these families are also suffering unnecessarily.
Many of these prisoners – and those previously held and released, as well as those who were forced to flee the country – were subjected to reprehensible conditions. Harsh treatment, including torture, in prisons and detention centers is well documented. Some political prisoners suffer from serious illnesses and disabilities and have been denied the necessary qualified medical care or have been deliberately abused to aggravate their conditions. Due to the regime’s reprisals against defense lawyers, they are often unable to find adequate legal counsel. Dozens of lawyers have been disbarred – and sometimes even imprisoned themselves – for daring to represent prisoners or opposition figures.
The United States again calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, recognizing this as a necessary step for Belarus to overcome its political crisis. We will continue to advocate for justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators. We call on Belarus to honor its obligations as a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and its international legal obligations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. We stand with the people of Belarus in their quest for a future based on the rule of law and accountable, democratic government.
