Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has expressed disappointment over the exclusion of key Belarusian political prisoners from a recent prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries. Speaking at the New Belarus 2024 conference, Tsikhanouskaya revealed that neither she nor her colleagues were informed about the negotiations or their outcomes.
“We did not know about these negotiations and did not participate in them; we could not influence their results,” Tsikhanouskaya stated. She highlighted that many in the opposition had hoped to see names like Maryia Kalesnikava, Andrzej Poczobut, and Ihar Losik among the freed individuals.
The exchange, conducted in Ankara, saw the release of 26 individuals from both sides. Notable figures released by Russia included Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition activist with British citizenship, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and “Wall Street Journal” journalist Evan Gershkovich. In return, the West released Russian spies and agents, including a Russian intelligence officer involved in a high-profile assassination in Berlin.
Despite the disappointment, Tsikhanouskaya acknowledged the significance of such exchanges, considering them a precedent that could be leveraged in future discussions about the release of Belarusian political prisoners. Human rights defenders report that the Belarusian regime currently holds 1,390 political prisoners, a list that includes politicians, activists, and ordinary citizens.
Andrzej Poczobut, a member of the Polish minority in Belarus, remains imprisoned, along with Maryia Kalesnikava, an opposition activist from the 2020 presidential campaign, and blogger Ihar Losik, who was sentenced in connection with the case of Tsikhanouskaya’s husband.
The exchange has not been without controversy. Polish opposition parties have criticized the government for not securing Poczobut’s release. Mariusz Kamiński, a PiS MEP, criticized the government on social media, stating, “The Tusk team handed over Russia’s most valuable agent without gaining anything in return. Shame!”
However, Minister Radosław Sikorski assured that efforts to free other political prisoners, including Poczobut, continue through different channels.