The European Union welcomed the release of human rights defender Ales Byalyatski, who was freed from prison on June 21 under an amnesty law.
“After almost three years of imprisonment on politically motivated grounds, he can now finally rejoin his family and friends,” said a statement by the 28-nation bloc.
It described Mr. Byalyatski’s early release as an “important step by the Belarusian authorities” and said that it “should be followed without delay by the release of all the remaining political prisoners and the reinstatement of their full civil and political rights.”
“This could contribute to improving relations between the European Union and Belarus,” said the statement.
