Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled Belarus opposition leader, spoke to FRANCE 24 about the release from jail of fellow protest leader Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski along with 121 other political prisoners. “Let’s not forget that at least 1,200 political prisoners are still behind bars, people are still being arrested every day, families are still being terrorised and repression hasn’t stopped. So, there is still a lot of work ahead of us,” said the former presidential candidate who stood against Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko. Asked about US moves to lift sanctions on Minsk in return for the prisoners’ release, Tikhanovskaya thanked the Trump administration for its role in brokering the deal, while calling for further pressure on the Belarus government. She added: “Lukashenko released these people not because he became humane, but because he feels the pressure and he wants sanctions lifted.”
This story originally appeared on France24
'Pressure works': Belarus opposition leader Tikhanovskaya reacts to release of political prisoners
