Nobel laureate and freed political prisoner Bialiatski is welcomed in Lithuania by Belarusian opposition leader – video

Mariya Yemets, KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO — 13 December 2025, 18:09

Ales Bialiatski in Lithuania. Photo: Radio Liberty

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, who was released from a Belarusian prison on 13 December, has arrived in Lithuania, where he was welcomed by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Source: European Pravda, citing Nasha Niva and the human rights centre Viasna, headed by Bialiatski

Quote from Viasna: "The Nobel laureate and head of Viasna was released and forcibly deported to Lithuania after 1,613 days behind bars."

Details: Nasha Niva shared a video of Bialiatski's meeting in Vilnius with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and other Belarusians in exile. Tsikhanouskaya later posted the video on her social media accounts.

Update: It has become known that Bialiatski was taken to the US Embassy in Vilnius. There, he gave his first public comments. Dozens of people came to welcome him.

Bialiatski says he was driven to the Lithuanian border blindfolded, virtually across the whole of Belarus. He feels that his state of health is fairly good.

"I was advised to ask for a pardon, but I did not ask for one," Bialiatski said.

Background:

Earlier, it became known that 114 of the 123 people released are currently in Ukraine. Among them are former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, his associate Maria Kolesnikova, and Marina Zolotova, editor-in-chief of the TUT.by portal.
Five Ukrainian citizens are also among those released.
Alexander Lukashenko's office announced the release of 123 political prisoners, saying it took place "as part of arrangements with the president of the United States and at his request" in connection with the lifting of US sanctions.
It was reported on 13 December that the United States had lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash.
On 4 November, the US Treasury Department eased certain sanctions on Belarus, lifting restrictions on the national airline and permitting operations connected to Lukashenko's aircraft.

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