On Sunday, 14 December 2025, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, for his first interview after being freed from a Belarusian prison after more than four years behind bars.
He had just returned from a dentist appointment, looking pale, visibly tired and emaciated.
The 63-year-old veteran human-rights advocate had been in an overcrowded cell in Penal Colony No. 9 in eastern Belarus during the early hours of Saturday when he was ordered to pack his belongings.
The cell was cramped, with several inmates sharing a single space.
Blindfolded, he was taken somewhere; he recalled, “They put a blindfold over my eyes. I was looking occasionally where we were headed, but only understood that we’re heading toward west.”
The blindfold made it difficult to know where he was being taken.
In Vilnius he hugged his wife for the first time in years, saying, “When I crossed the border, it was as if I emerged from the bottom of the sea and onto the surface of the water. You have lots of air, sun, and back there you were in a completely different situation – under pressure.”
He had been absent from his family for years, making the reunion all the more emotional.
Bialiatski was one of 123 prisoners released by Belarus in exchange for the United States lifting sanctions on the Belarusian potash sector.
The exchange aimed to ease the country’s economic isolation by lifting sanctions on its potash sector.
He noted that the penal colony offered very limited medical assistance; the only option for dental problems was to have teeth pulled, he said.
He emphasized that dental care was essentially nonexistent.
He denied having been beaten behind bars, explaining that his Nobel Peace Prize status protected him from physical violence.
He said the Nobel status shielded him from the physical abuse that many other prisoners endure.
However, he described the inhumane conditions he endured: solitary confinement, arbitrary punishment for minor infractions such as “not shaving, for not marching the way you’re supposed to, for cleaning poorly,” and a lack of contact with loved ones.
The punishments were often arbitrary and humiliating.
He added that he carried a yellow label in the colony, marking him as having “extremist tendencies,” and that his wife was barred from visiting.
The yellow label marked him as extremist, a stigma used to justify harsher treatment.
He said, “I now need to deal with my health, because during these 4 ½ years I received minimal medical assistance. You need to understand that medical care in Belarusian prisons is very limited.”
He has struggled with health issues since his release.
Bialiatski expressed concern for colleagues Marfa Rabkova and Valiantsin Stefanovic, who remain imprisoned, and for the 1,110 political prisoners still behind bars, according to Viasna.
He is particularly worried about the safety of his colleagues.
He remarked, “Despite the fact that prisoners are being freed right now, new people regularly end up behind bars. Some kind of schizophrenia is taking place: with one hand, the authorities release Belarusian political prisoners, and with the other they take in more prisoners to trade, to maintain this abnormal situation in Belarus.”
He sees this pattern as a deliberate strategy by the regime.
He noted that in Penal Colony No. 9, some 20 other political prisoners were held, including workers, students, and a serviceman, showing the widespread desire for democracy among Belarusians.
The diversity of inmates illustrates the broad appeal of democratic ideals across Belarusian society.
He vowed to continue fighting for the release of all political prisoners, stating, “There is no point in freeing old ones if you’re taking in new ones.”
He believes that freeing old prisoners does not address the root problem.
Bialiatski said he learned about his Nobel Peace Prize while in prison and could not initially believe it, but now uses the honor to support those who choose freedom.
He now uses his platform to advocate for those seeking freedom.
He explained that the prize was awarded not to him personally but to represent Belarusian civil society and the millions who desire democracy, freedom, human rights, and change.
The award was intended to recognize the collective struggle of Belarusian civil society.
He added, “And it was a signal to the Belarusian authorities, too, that it’s time to change something in the life of the Belarusians.”
He hopes the prize will prompt authorities to implement reforms.
Bialiatski noted that Viasna has relocated to Vilnius but that most civil-society activists are either in prison or forced to emigrate.
The relocation of Viasna to Vilnius has limited its influence within Belarus.
He said, “The majority of civil society activists are either in prison, or were forced to emigrate, leave Belarus after prison. The situation is difficult, but I hope for international solidarity, for the pressure on the Belarusian regime, which has to continue, because the Belarusian authorities hear only these arguments – arguments from a position of strength.”
He calls for sustained international pressure to compel change.
He linked Belarus’s intensified crackdown to its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying, “People land in prison for, say, photographs of non-Belarusian military equipment.”
He views these arrests as part of a broader campaign to silence dissent.
He added, “It is, of course, very important for Belarus that the war ends. And it is also clear that this end must not come at the expense of Ukraine, because the situation with democracy, human rights, and the development of Belarus depends greatly on how things unfold in Ukraine itself.”
He stresses that the end of the war should not come at the cost of Ukrainian sovereignty.
Bialiatski highlighted that Belarus has not declared martial law but effectively has it, noting that the government uses the war as a pretext to intensify domestic repression.
The lack of formal martial law does not diminish the regime’s repressive tactics.
He mentioned Belarus’s agreement to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons, underscoring the country’s political and economic dependence on Moscow.
This arrangement further entrenches Belarus’s dependency on Moscow.
Other released dissidents-Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kolesnikova, Alexander Feduta, and Uladzimir Labkovich-spoke to reporters in Ukraine, thanking the country for taking them in and providing assistance amid the ongoing war.
Their gratitude highlights the role of Ukraine in supporting dissidents.
Key Takeaways
- Bialiatski, freed after 4 ½ years in a Belarusian prison, details inhumane conditions and limited medical care.
- He urges the release of all political prisoners and criticizes the cycle of freeing old detainees while imprisoning new ones.
- The Belarusian crackdown is tied to its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and Bialiatski calls for international solidarity to pressure the regime.
Closing: Bialiatski’s testimony underscores the human cost of Belarus’s authoritarian rule and the urgent need for global attention to the plight of political prisoners.
