Alexander Lukashenko called the freezing of $43-44 million in Belarusian funds at Citibank ‘a disgrace for the United States.’ Now U.S. officials have asked the bank to release the money.
U.S. officials have asked Citibank to release Belarusian funds frozen at the bank. “We have requested from them as to why they have not released the money,” said U.S. presidential envoy John Coale, who met with Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on September 15.
U.S. officials have requested Citibank to release $43-44 million in frozen Belarusian funds held by the bank. U.S. presidential envoy John Coale met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on September 15 to discuss the issue. Lukashenko called the freeze "a disgrace for the United States," stating it is inconsistent with the money provided by a company that had previously worked with Belarus.
Despite previous meetings leading to the release of political prisoners, including Viktor Babaryko, Maria Kolesnikova, and Siarhei Tsikhanouski, hundreds of detainees remain. Lukashenko accused Belarusian émigrés of exaggerating the situation in the West, claiming they convinced the U.S. to believe that while some prisoners were released, twice as many were detained as part of ongoing repression.
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