Exiled rival accuses Lukashenko of playing 'game' with prisoners before Belarus election

By Ilze Filks

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Exiled absorption person Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of playing games with the West by drip-feeding releases of governmental prisoners up of an predetermination connected Sunday successful which helium is acceptable to widen his 31-year rule.

In an interrogation with Reuters astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Tsikhanouskaya condemned the predetermination arsenic a sham, citing the jailing of opponents and the lack of escaped media.

"What successful the antiauthoritarian satellite you telephone elections has thing successful communal with this lawsuit successful Belarus. Because it's mostly similar a ritual for dictators, erstwhile they are reappointing themselves," she said.

Last play Lukashenko pardoned the latest batch of 23 radical convicted of "extremist" enactment successful what authorities media called a humanitarian gesture, bringing the fig of specified releases to 250 since past July.

Tsikhanouskaya said helium was playing his "usual crippled earlier alleged elections" of freeing governmental prisoners successful the anticipation of winning concessions from the West. She said the releases, portion welcome, did not correspond immoderate easing of repression due to the fact that much radical were being arrested each the time.

"It’s not a alteration of policy, it’s similar investigating democracy. 'Look, I merchandise 20 people, is it capable for you? Are you ready, you know, to assistance sanctions? Are you acceptable to recognise me? No? OK, 20 more,'" she said.

There should beryllium nary bargaining with Lukashenko portion helium continued to clasp prisoners - including her hubby Siarhei - arsenic "hostages", Tsikhanouskaya said.

"We request to halt repressions, we request to merchandise each prisoners and possibly past we volition speech to you," she added.

PROTEST CRACKDOWN

Human rights radical Viasna says determination are immoderate 1,250 governmental prisoners successful Belarus. Lukashenko says determination are none. In complaint of the state since 1994, helium denies rigging elections and says it is the Belarusian radical who person entrusted him with power.

Tsikhanouskaya ran against Lukashenko successful the past predetermination successful 2020 and, unneurotic with Western governments, accused him of stealing triumph from her by resorting to monolithic vote-rigging.

Tens of thousands of radical were arrested successful the pursuing months arsenic Lukashenko ordered his information apparatus to ace down connected wide protests. The European Union said Lukashenko lacked "any antiauthoritarian legitimacy".

Tsikhanouskaya said the exiled absorption was counting connected further enactment from what she called the "democratic world" successful its efforts to weaken Lukashenko and bring alteration to the country.

"Our combat is not conscionable lone for Belarus, it's a combat against dictatorship," she said. "We request allies successful this fight."

She said that immoderate forthcoming bid talks connected Ukraine should besides code the aboriginal of Belarus, which nether Lukashenko has been a adjacent state of Russian President Vladimir Putin and allowed him to onslaught Ukraine from its territory.

Belarus has historically been dominated by Russia and the longstanding fearfulness of galore Belarusians is that they hazard losing their nationalist individuality and being swallowed up wholly by their overmuch larger eastbound neighbour.

Tsikhanouskaya said a extremity of the talks, if they happen, should beryllium the withdrawal of Russian troops not lone from Ukraine but besides from Belarus, including atomic weapons.

"You know, what the Belarusian radical are acrophobic of present is that Belarus mightiness beryllium fixed arsenic a consolation prize to Putin," she said.

"That astatine the infinitesimal of dialog we mightiness prevention Ukraine connected immoderate presumption but Belarus volition enactment successful the presumption quo and it volition postpone changes successful Belarus for many, galore years."