川普特使促成25名白俄羅斯囚犯獲釋，預期很快還會有數百人獲釋

安德留斯・西塔斯（Andrius Sytas）與馬克・特里維廉（Mark Trevelyan）報導By Andrius Sytas and Mark Trevelyan

維爾紐斯，9月16日（路透）——白俄羅斯週三釋放25名囚犯，以換取美國進一步放寬制裁。美國特使約翰・科爾告訴路透社，可能有數百人會在一個月內獲釋。VILNIUS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Belarus freed 25 prisoners on Wednesday in return for a further easing of U.S. sanctions, and U.S. envoy John Coale told Reuters that hundreds more could be released in a month.

這項協議是科爾與白俄羅斯總統亞歷山大・盧卡申科一連串談判的最新成果；相關談判已持續一年多。盧卡申科是俄羅斯總統普丁的親密盟友。The deal was the latest to emerge from a series of negotiations stretching back more than a year between Coale and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

總統川普已交付科爾任務，要求他促成數百人獲釋，其中包括人權倡議人士、政治運動人士、記者與律師。Coale has been tasked by President Donald Trump with securing the release of hundreds of people including human rights campaigners, political activists, journalists and lawyers.

美國的外交斡旋相當敏感，因為盧卡申科自1994年起掌管這個前蘇聯國家，長期因鎮壓反對者及支持俄羅斯在烏克蘭的戰爭而遭西方排斥。The U.S. diplomacy is sensitive because Lukashenko, in charge of the former Soviet state since 1994, has long been shunned by the West for repressing his opponents and supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

科爾在立陶宛首都維爾紐斯告訴路透社：「這項（程序）非常成功。川普總統對此非常高興。」獲釋囚犯被帶往維爾紐斯。"This (process) has been very successful. President Trump's very happy with this," Coale told Reuters in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where the freed prisoners were taken.

其中一人柳德米拉・切基娜（Liudmila Chekina）告訴記者，她從12年刑期中獲釋後「百感交集」。One of them, Liudmila Chekina, told reporters she was "overwhelmed with emotions" after being released from a 12-year sentence.

切基娜說：「遭囚禁非常痛苦，就像被活埋一樣。我們的父母臨終，我們卻無法參加葬禮；我們的孩子在沒有我們陪伴下長大。」她曾任線上新聞入口網站TUT.BY負責人，該網站於2021年遭禁。"It's very hard to be in captivity. It's like being buried alive. Our parents were dying and we couldn't attend the funeral. Our kids grew up without us," said Chekina, former head of the online news portal TUT.BY that was banned in 2021.

特使盼很快有更多人獲釋ENVOY HOPES FOR MORE RELEASES SOON

此次釋放25人的數字，遠低於科爾3月上次訪問明斯克時談成的250人。The figure of 25 releases was much lower than the 250 that Coale negotiated when he last visited Minsk in March.

但這名美方人士在訪談中表示，他預期約一個月後會返回，並希望屆時會有「數百人」獲釋。But the American said in an interview that he expected to return in about a month and hoped at that point that "hundreds" would be freed.

人權組織維亞斯納（Viasna）表示，週三獲釋者中許多人原本服很長的刑期。該組織在白俄羅斯被禁，並被列為極端主義組織。Human rights group Viasna, which is banned in Belarus as an extremist organisation, said many of those released on Wednesday had been serving very long jail terms.

記者安德烈・亞歷山德勞（Andrei Alyaksandrau）從14年刑期中獲釋後告訴路透社，他正在「初次喘幾口自由的空氣」。Journalist Andrei Alyaksandrau, freed from a 14-year sentence, told Reuters he was "having some first gasps of free air".

同時獲釋的還包括他的妻子伊琳娜・茲洛比娜（Iryna Zlobina），她原本服刑9年；以及3名音樂人。他們於2022年被捕，其歌曲被定為「極端主義材料」。Also released were his wife Iryna Zlobina, serving nine years, and a trio of musicians, arrested in 2022, whose songs were designated as "extremist materials".

一名了解情況的消息人士告訴路透社，除了這25人外，預期還會有相當數量的囚犯獲釋並留在白俄羅斯境內。A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that, in addition to the 25, a significant number of prisoners were expected to be freed and remain inside Belarus.

盧卡申科否認以新囚犯取代獲釋者LUKASHENKO DENIES REPLACING SOME PRISONERS WITH OTHERS

維亞斯納表示，白俄羅斯仍關押886名政治犯；不過盧卡申科拒絕接受這項稱呼，並否認流亡反對派的指控。反對派指控他持續逮捕更多人，以取代他釋放的人。Viasna says Belarus still holds 886 political prisoners, although Lukashenko rejects that label and denies charges by the exiled opposition that he is steadily arresting more people to replace those he releases.

被問及是否仍堅持先前「所有囚犯都可能在今年獲釋」的預測時，科爾告訴路透社：「嗯，我想是。（我會）試試看。」Asked if he was sticking to an earlier prediction that all the prisoners could be freed this year, Coale told Reuters: "Well, I think so. (I'll) give it a try."

現年79歲的科爾先前曾承認，為了拉近與盧卡申科的關係，他偶爾會訴諸粗俗幽默；也會在冗長的伏特加酒局中，為了避免喝醉而悄悄把杯中酒倒在地上。The 79-year-old has previously admitted to resorting occasionally to crude humour in order to win over Lukashenko, and discreetly emptying his glass on the floor in order to avoid getting drunk at long vodka sessions.

美國解除對兩家白俄羅斯公司的制裁U.S. LIFTS SANCTIONS ON TWO BELARUSIAN COMPANIES

科爾稍早表示，美國正解除對油漆與工業塗料製造商Lakokraska，以及監管林業、紙漿與造紙部門的國營工業集團Bellesbumprom的制裁。Coale said earlier that the U.S. was lifting sanctions on Lakokraska, a manufacturer of paints and industrial coatings, and Bellesbumprom, a state-owned industrial concern that oversees the forestry, pulp and paper sectors.

他週二也向盧卡申科承諾，將促使美國銀行交還數千萬美元遭凍結的白俄羅斯資產。He also promised Lukashenko on Tuesday to get U.S. banks to hand back tens of millions of dollars in frozen Belarusian assets.

科爾的人道努力獲得許多白俄羅斯人感謝，但人權組織與反對派政治人物表示，逮捕仍在持續，盧卡申科尚未結束鎮壓。Coale's humanitarian efforts have earned gratitude from many Belarusians, but rights groups and opposition politicians say arrests continue and Lukashenko has yet to end repression.

流亡反對派領袖斯維特蘭娜・季哈諾夫斯卡婭（Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya）告訴記者：「我們明白，盧卡申科釋放人們不是因為他有人性，而是因為對盧卡申科來說，人就是商品，他想盡可能把人賣得越貴越好。」Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told reporters: "We understand that Lukashenko releases people not because he is humane. But because people (are) goods for Lukashenko and he wants to sell them as expensive as possible."

（安德留斯・西塔斯與Janis Laizans維爾紐斯報導，馬克・特里維廉倫敦報導；Anton Kolodyazhnyy、Felix Light、Stine Jacobsen與Louise Rasmussen補充報導；馬克・特里維廉撰稿；Hugh Lawson與Alex Richardson編輯）(Reporting by Andrius Sytas and Janis Laizans in Vilnius and Mark Trevelyan in London; Additional reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy, Felix Light, Stine Jacobsen and Louise Rasmussen; Writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Alex Richardson)