Belarus Frees 52 Political Prisoners, But Hundreds Remain Behind Bars

Among those freed is Ihar Losik, a well-known Belarusian blogger and journalist who was a prominent critic of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Losik contributed to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and became a vital source of information during the 2020 mass protests, using Telegram to report in real time on demonstrations and state crackdowns.

Losik was arrested in June 2020, less than two months after the protests began, on accusations of “organizing actions that disrupt public order.” Under Belarusian law, he should have been released from pre-trial detention within six months, but instead faced additional charges and repeated extensions of his detention. A court sentenced him to 15 years in prison — a fate shared by other opposition figures, such as Syarhei Tsikhanouski, who received an 18-year sentence before being released earlier this year.

Conditions in detention took a severe toll on Losik. According to his partner, he was kept in a cell so small he could barely walk, surviving either lying down or sitting. His mental health deteriorated, and he lost a significant amount of weight. In 2020, after being informed of new charges, Losik attempted suicide by slitting his wrists and later went on hunger strike. He ended the strike only after receiving thousands of letters from Belarusians urging him not to give up his life.

Losik’s release is part of a broader deal that saw 51 prisoners transferred across the border into Lithuania. One man, prominent opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich — a former presidential candidate who challenged Lukashenka in the 2010 election — refused exile and chose to remain in Belarus. Lithuania’s border guard service confirmed his decision. Exiled opposition leaders have long insisted that political figures must be allowed to remain in their country and participate freely in public life.

Despite the symbolic significance of the prisoner release, it does little to change the grim reality in Belarus. According to the Viasna Human Rights Center, Belarusian courts have issued over 7,400 politically motivated convictions since 2020. As of August 2025, nearly 1,200 political prisoners remained in detention.

Among them are several Viasna members, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, as well as Valiantsin Stefanovich, Uladzimir Labkovich, and Marfa Rabkova. Human rights defenders continue to document cases of torture and ill-treatment during both pre-trial detention and imprisonment.

State lists of so-called “extremists” and “terrorists” are growing, providing legal cover for ongoing persecution. Political prisoners are routinely subjected to forced labor under threat of disciplinary or criminal punishment.

Independent journalists remain under heavy pressure, with almost 40 media professionals currently behind bars. The regime continues to retaliate against participants in the 2020 protests — in some cases even targeting their relatives.

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