美方會談後，白俄羅斯總統盧卡申科再釋放15名囚犯

路透9月24日電——白俄羅斯總統亞歷山大・盧卡申科（Alexander Lukashenko）週四發布命令，赦免15名囚犯。上週，他才與美國總統川普的特使舉行會談。Sept 24 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 15 prisoners in a decree on Thursday that follows talks last week with an envoy for US President Donald Trump.

川普特使約翰・科爾（John Coale）與盧卡申科談判已超過一年，迄今已換取美國取消部分制裁，讓數百名囚犯獲釋，其中包括反對派人士、社運人士、記者和律師。Trump's envoy John Coale has been negotiating with Lukashenko for more than a year, so far obtaining the release of hundreds of prisoners including opposition figures, activists, journalists and lawyers, in return for removing some US sanctions.

遭禁的人權組織維亞斯納（Viasna）表示，白俄羅斯仍有883名政治犯，他們因極端主義活動、煽動仇恨或侮辱總統等罪名遭定罪。Banned human rights group Viasna says 883 political prisoners remain in Belarus, convicted on charges such as extremist activity, incitement to hatred or insulting the president.

盧卡申科是俄羅斯總統普丁的親密盟友，自1994年起統治白俄羅斯。他否認這個前蘇聯國家有任何政治犯，但為爭取放寬制裁、減輕國際孤立，已與川普政府接觸。Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has ruled Belarus since 1994. He denies there are any political prisoners in the former Soviet state, but has engaged with the Trump administration in order to get sanctions relief and ease his international isolation.

盧卡申科辦公室表示，這15名新獲赦免者包括10名女性，其中13人曾「犯下具有極端主義性質的罪行」。辦公室表示，他們請求赦免並表達悔意後，獲准特赦。Lukashenko's office said the 15 newly pardoned people included 10 women, and 13 of them had "committed crimes of an extremist nature". It said the pardons were granted after they asked for clemency and expressed remorse.

這些人獲釋，代表科爾所稱今年釋放所有剩餘囚犯的目標，進一步逐步取得進展。The releases represented further gradual progress towards Coale's stated goal of freeing all the remaining prisoners this year.

科爾上週訪問期間，成功促成25人獲釋，包括知名記者和社運人士，但人數遠少於他3月前次訪問時獲釋的250人。During his visit last week, he won the release of 25 people including prominent journalists and activists — far fewer than the 250 who were freed during his previous trip in March.

分析人士表示，盧卡申科在談判中採取更強硬立場，原因是美國取消部分制裁，尤其是針對白俄羅斯重要出口收入來源鉀肥的制裁後，歐盟並未跟進，令他感到不滿。Analysts say Lukashenko is taking a tougher line in the talks, frustrated that the removal of some US sanctions — especially on potash, a key export earner for Belarus — has not been matched by the European Union.

盧卡申科也要求解凍4300萬至4400萬美元的白俄羅斯資產；他稱這些資產「卡」在花旗銀行（Citibank）。科爾上週承諾會處理此事。花旗（Citi）拒絕評論。Lukashenko has also demanded the release of $43 million to $44 million of frozen Belarusian assets that he says are "stuck" in Citibank, and Coale promised last week to address this. Citi has declined to comment.

（Anton Kolodzyazhnyy報導；Mark Trevelyan撰稿；Andrew Heavens編輯）(Reporting by Anton Kolodzyazhnyy, writing by Mark Trevelyan, editing by Andrew Heavens)