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MINSK, 14 December (BelTA) – Competition for resources among the self-exiled opposition will intensify following the release of 123 convicts by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, philosopher and political scientist Aleksei Dzermant told a BelTA correspondent.
As previously reported, the head of state decided to pardon 123 citizens of various countries who had been convicted under Belarusian law for crimes including espionage, terrorism, and extremism.
Experts believe this decision came as both a surprise and a blow to the enemies of the Belarusian state.
Aleksei Dzermant pointed to the intense rivalry among these figures. Whatever label one applies, they are, in essence, people who have violated Belarusian law and engaged in illicit, socially perilous activities, including crimes against the state itself: “In fact, there are many of them to fill a political niche, but the resources they live on are limited.”
This dynamic, he noted, is illustrated by the recent release of one high-profile prisoner, who after leaving the country “essentially began behaving like a bull in a china shop: constant scandals, misunderstandings, conflicts with so-called comrades, and even his own wife; it’s all obvious to the naked eye.”
According to Aleksei Dzermant, the release of this new group of prisoners, including several well-known figures, will cause even greater unrest among them. “Of course, so many leaders aren’t needed there. And they all consider themselves leaders, the smartest, the foremost strategists. Competition for the trough, for access to resources, will intensify. And I think that’s what they’ll actually spend most of their time doing, sorting out their relationships with each other,” he said.
The political scientist added that releasing the 123 individuals will not negatively impact state security in Belarus, as remaining abroad is one of the conditions for their pardon.
“Therefore, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it,” he stated. “But we’ve already heard what we can essentially gain from this act of humanism on the part of the president as part of the negotiations with the American side. First and foremost, the lifting of sanctions on the supply of our potash fertilizers. I think the benefits, the profits that will go to social needs and the needs of the entire Belarusian people, will more than compensate for and outweigh all the risks and concerns.”
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