Dozens of Nobel laureates call on Belarus leader Lukashenko to release all political prisoners

Around 1,400 political prisoners – including doctors, journalists and scientists – are jailed in the country, according to human rights groups

The 58 signatories asked Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko directly to release political prisoners (Reuters)

Dozens of Nobel prize winners have urged Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko to release all political prisoners currently detained by his regime.

The 58 Nobel laureates, including Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich, have signed an open letter urging Lukashenko to agree to a political amnesty after 18 seriously ill activists were released this month.

The Belarusian human rights group Viasna counts almost 1,400 political prisoners, including its Nobel Peace Prize-winning founder Ales Bialiatski.

Many of Belarus' most prominent opposition figures are behind bars while others fled abroad as authorities cracked down severely on opponents as protests gripped the country in 2020. But only one well-known figure was among the 18 prisoners whom Lukashenko allowed to be freed earlier this month.

The violent crackdown followed an election that the opposition and Western governments said he had heavily rigged. Since then, more than 35,000 people have been arrested, with allegations of beatings in custody, while dozens of independent news organisations and rights groups have been shut down. A close ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for three decades.

Dozens of Nobel prize winners have urged Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to release 1,400 political prisoners (AP)

“It is unacceptable to subject the people of your country to severe trials and harsh conditions solely for their beliefs. Every person has the right to their opinion and deserves respect for their individuality,” the letter, addressed to Lukashenko said.

“You have a unique opportunity to turn the page on the past and enter history not only as an uncompromising ruler but also as a political leader who has shown wisdom and compassion, responsible to your people and their future.”

Those imprisoned include journalists, scientists, doctors, workers, public figures and human rights activists.

Ales Bialiatski, the head of Belarusian Vyasna rights group, sits in a defendant's cage during a court session in Minsk, Belarus, on 5 January 2023 (BelTA)

The 58 signatories include literature prize winners Svetlana Alexievich of Belarus, J.M. Coetzee, Herta Müller, and peace prize laureates Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Oscar Arias and Jody Williams. The list includes more than 40 winners in science and economics.

“We, the undersigned Nobel laureates, welcome the adoption of the amnesty law and the first steps towards the release of severely ill prisoners in Belarus,” the letter continued.

“We urge Alexander Lukashenko to show humanity and compassion by freeing all citizens recognized by human rights defenders as political prisoners.”

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the country of 9.5 million since the 2020 crackdown. In May, Belarusian authorities announced raids and the seizure of property belonging to 104 opposition activists who have left.

The authorities launched a criminal probe supposedly relating to charges of “forming an extremist group” and “discrediting Belarus,” criminal offences that can result in prison terms of up to seven years.