52 Political Prisoners Released and Transferred to Lithuania — No Attorneys Among Them

On 11 September, following negotiations between the United States and the administration of Alexander Lukashenko, 52 persons were released from Belarusian colonies and prisons, including well-known Belarusian journalists, activists, and political figures. They were taken to the Lithuanian border, and upon crossing it, regained their freedom.

At present, more than 1,200 people remain behind bars in Belarus, recognised by human rights defenders as having been deprived of liberty on political grounds. Among those released on September 11th, however, there were regrettably no attorneys.

At least seven attorneys are currently imprisoned in Belarus: Maksim Znak, Aliaksandr Danilevich, Anastasiya Lazarenka, Vitaly Braginets, Yuliya Yurgilevich, Alexey Borodko, and Sergey Khlystov.

Maksim Znak — sentenced to 10 years of strict regime imprisonment; held incommunicado since February 2023 (two and a half years).

Aliaksandr Danilevich — sentenced to six years for providing legal assistance in drafting documents; dismissed from his teaching position at Belarusian State University prior to arrest.

Anastasiya Lazarenka — sentenced to six years; during her arrest, security forces armed with weapons broke down the doors of her home.

Vitaly Braginets — sentenced to eight years of enhanced regime imprisonment; detained while defending another attorney, A. Mochalov. After serving an administrative detention term, he was never released.

Yuliya Yurgilevich — sentenced to six years together with journalist Pavel Mozheiko (who was among those released on 11 September). In court, she testified that she was being held in “inhumane conditions.”

Alexey Borodko — sentenced to six years of enhanced regime imprisonment.

Sergey Khlystov — the length of his sentence remains unknown.