Opposition Figure Gets Early Release From Jail

Andrei Klimov, a former parliament member and prominent opponent of Belarussian President Alexander G. Lukashenko, was released from prison after serving two-thirds of a six-year sentence for fraud.

“My conviction was the result of a political struggle between former lawmakers who are in opposition to the authorities and the current regime, which could not beat its political opponents in any other way,” Klimov said shortly after his release.

Lukashenko has led a systematic crackdown on political opponents and the independent media. He is criticized in the West, but his policies are supported by many at home.