People are really dying': Belarusians warn Lukashenko's crackdown is far from over

"Only at that moment, of course, he said with a grin in a Vilnius cafe, his hair still cropped from prison. Dziadok, 37, was among 52 political prisoners released and deported to exile in neighbouring Lithuania earlier this month one of the largest such pardons in Belarus's post-Soviet history, and the latest ploy by Lukashenko, the shrewd authoritarian who has ruled Belarus for decades and close ally of Vladimir Putin, in his effort to improve relations with the Trump administration."

"But the prison release, which followed earlier ones, including that of the opposition leader Syarhei Tsikhanouski in June, has come with strings attached. And Lukashenko's prisons remain packed, with 1,168 political detainees still behind bars, according to the human rights group Viasna a number that includes its founder, the Nobel peace prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. Through a series of diplomatic overtures, Lukashenko has nudged Belarus out of years of western isolation that followed his crackdowns at home and support for Russia's war in Ukraine."

"Washington's decision to ease its first sanctions in response to the prisoner release, along with Trump's hint of a possible meeting with Lukashenko, marked a tangible victory for a leader long treated as a pariah in the west. But critics now say Lukashenko is wielding political prisoners as bargaining chips trading their freedom for international concessions while continuing repression at home."

Mikola Dziadok, an anarchist and journalist, was freed and deported to Lithuania after five years in Belarusian prisons. He was among 52 political prisoners pardoned and expelled, one of the largest such actions in Belarus's post-Soviet era. The releases aimed to improve relations with the Trump administration and prompted Washington to ease initial sanctions and signal potential engagement. Despite the pardons, 1,168 political detainees remain incarcerated, including Viasna founder Ales Bialiatski. Critics say Lukashenko is using prisoners as bargaining chips to secure diplomatic relief while maintaining domestic crackdowns and support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

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