Warsaw, Poland - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is releasing political prisoners in hope of getting loans from the IMF. After the unexpected pardons over recent weeks, only about a dozen political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails. Among them are Lukashenko’s rivals in the December 2010 presidential elections, serving up to six years of hard labour.
Insiders warn that this is not a thaw, just a new step in the regime’s strategy. One of the released dissidents, Alexander Atroshchanko, has said prison authorities were openly calling the inmates "hostages" and "commodities" to be traded for loans.
"Lukashenko hopes to exchange political prisoners for a new credit line from the IMF (International Monetary Fund)," Belarusian economist Yaroslav Romanchuk told IPS. "He urgently needs 6 billion dollars to stabilise the situation. Otherwise he will be forced to sell assets to Russia."
Belarus, a country of 10 million that became free from Soviet rule in 1991, has been ruled with an iron fist by Lukashenko since 1994. The country is now suffering a debt spiral. The trade deficit has crossed 7 billion dollars, and inflation is expected to reach 100 percent by the end of the year. Following devaluation of the Belarusian rouble, the average monthly salary has decreased from 450 to 200 dollars.
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