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Belarus releases six political prisoners but at least three other remain locked up (Photo: Marco Fieber)

Belarus frees prisoners ahead of elections

Belarus has released six political prisoners ahead of presidential elections later this year.

The move has been described by the European Union “as a long-sought step forward”, but detractors say it’s part of a strategy by Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko to secure more Russian loans amid a recession.

In a joint statement on Sunday (23 August), EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and commissioner for European neighbourhood policy Johannes Hahn, said they "now expect t...

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Author Bio

Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.

Belarus releases six political prisoners but at least three other remain locked up (Photo: Marco Fieber)

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Author Bio

Nikolaj joined EUobserver in 2012 and covers home affairs. He is originally from Denmark, but spent much of his life in France and in Belgium. He was awarded the King Baudouin Foundation grant for investigative journalism in 2010.

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