Lukashenka threatens to return released political prisoners to jail
“One more attempt of exercising pressure – and the released chatterers… may return to prison”, - said the Belarusian leader.
He claimed it on a republican community work day on April 21. Alyaksandr Lukashenka stressed that the released opposition members had not been released because of the European Union’s pressure.
“If they had not pled guilty, they would still be in prison now. Those who have not asked the President for freedom will stay in prison. That’s the whole pressure. Nobody will exercise pressure on me here”, = informs BelTA quoting the state leader.
At the same time Lukashenka said that he took certain things into account when he made the decision to show mercy: one of the prisoners had a little child and the other one had health problems. He meant Andrei Sannikau and Zmitser Bandarenka released a week ago.
The Belarusian leader also mentioned the issue of the EU Ambassadors’ return to Belarus: “They will say now: we have exercised pressure and the ambassadors have been allowed to return. On the contrary, we told the Ambassadors: guys, you have left, so stay there for a while. The Ambassadors expressed a desire to come back. But is it necessary to wait a bit not to lose face. They are not fools, they understand it”.
