Freed Belarus opposition leader refuses to leave country

Prominent Belarusian opposition figure and former presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich has refused to leave Belarus after being released from prison, opposition representative Franak Viačorka said on Wednesday.

“This is a real drama, because Statkevich flatly refused to leave Belarus, and they are trying to push him out,” Viačorka said, adding that the politician attempted to return but was stopped at the border.

Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT cited border guards as confirming that Statkevich left the neutral zone at the frontier and headed back into Belarus.

Statkevich, jailed ahead of the 2020 election, was serving a 14-year sentence on charges of organising mass unrest. His release came as President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 52 prisoners at the request of US President Donald Trump.

Among those freed were opposition activists and 14 foreigners, including Lithuanians, Latvians, Poles, Germans, a French and a British citizen. In return, Washington lifted sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia.

N.Tebrizli