Belarus – Prisoner release

France welcomes the release of 123 prisoners in Belarus, including several political prisoners – among them Maria Kolesnikova, Viktar Babaryka and Nobel Peace Laureate Ales Bialiatski – as well as individuals of other nationalities, thanks to U.S. mediation.

France calls for maintaining this momentum, with an end to political sentencing and imprisonment and a guarantee of respect for the fundamental rights of all Belarusians, consistent with Belarus’s international commitments.

We also encourage the Belarusian authorities to continue on this path by making a gesture that benefits the Belarusian people as a whole: specifically, by engaging in dialogue with all elements of society.