Opposition Politician Released From Belarusian Prison After nearly Five Years

Statkevich was greeted by his wife and supporters following his release, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The EU and United States had set the freeing of political prisoners as a condition for easing economic sanctions, which were toughened after Lukashenko’s government violently suppressed protests on the night of the 2010 presidential election.

“I will continue to fight for a free, independent and European Belarus”, the 59-year-old veteran opposition leader said.

The releases “represent important progress in the efforts toward the improvement of relations between the EU and Belarus”, EU officials said in a statement late Saturday.

Once dubbed by Washington as “Europe’s last dictator” for his authoritarian rule, Lukashenko now finds himself facing chilled relations with former master Moscow over the Ukraine conflict while grappling with an economy that is dependent on Russian Federation and has slid into recession.

Lukashenko, who has been in power in the small ex-Soviet republic since 1994 and is running for a fifth consecutive term in an election in October, had been motivated by humane principles, his press service said. The 60-year-old president was re-elected to a fourth term in December 2010 in a poll marred by a violent crackdown on the opposition. They were released following a pardon from President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

In May 2011 he was given a six-year jail sentence on a charge of organizing mass street protests against Lukashenko’s re-election at the time.

Statkevich had been recognised as a political prisoner by Amnesty global, and Western officials regularly pushed for his release.