Dmitry Luksha, a journalist, was sentenced to four years for his reporting on mass opposition protests and his country’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine. Unexpectedly, he was released early along with several other political prisoners in a series of surprise amnesties. Dmitry, who had built up muscles breaking rocks in a Belarusian prison camp, is now in Poland with his wife, Polina, who was also convicted as his “accomplice.” The criteria for early release remains unknown, but Dmitry had to request an official pardon from Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko.
The sudden releases have brought hope to the families of other political prisoners, including Maria Kolesnikova, who helped lead peaceful protests in 2020 and was later sentenced to 11 years for “conspiring to seize power.” Maria’s sister fears for her life, as she has undergone emergency surgery and is being denied the special diet she needs.
While some see the releases as a potential opportunity for dialogue with the Belarusian leadership and a chance to engage with the outside world, others remain skeptical, given the ongoing repression in the country. Despite the early releases, many political activists and analysts, including Ryhor Astapenia, have been sentenced to long prison terms for their opposition to the government. The situation remains tense as Belarus continues to crack down on dissent. BBC Para entonces, él había imaginado que estaba seguro.
“Esos dos años fueron mi deshacer”, él sabe ahora, después de haber pasado 28 meses difíciles en la cárcel.
Cuando fue liberado, inesperadamente, pensó que se quedaría en Bielorrusia. Pero eso era imposible.
“Saltaría cada vez que se abriera el ascensor. O cuando se acercara una furgoneta con ventanas tintadas. Y había tantos policías armados en la calle”, Dmitry explica, desde la seguridad de Varsovia donde ahora viven decenas de miles de bielorrusos, por las mismas razones.
“Entiendes que no has hecho nada mal, no deberían venir por ti. Pero no puedes decirle eso a tu corazón. Es la Bielorrusia brutal de hoy, y tu corazón tiene miedo.”
Por eso Dmitry espera que las amnistías continúen, sea cual sea el motivo que impulse el proceso: Viasna todavía enumera 1,349 presos políticos en Bielorrusia.
“Realmente espero que los números de liberados crezcan, para que también salgan aquellos con largas condenas. Esas personas viven con la esperanza de que alguien vendrá y les dirá: es tu turno. Realmente espero que lo hagan.”