Fourth Wave of Political Prisoner Releases in Belarus (19 March 2026)

This analytical note documents the release of 250 political prisoners in Belarus on 19 March 2026 and assesses the significance of this event for the analysis of the mechanism of forced expulsion through “release”.Out of the total number:- 15 individuals were expelled from the country;- 235 individuals remained on the territory of Belarus.The note is based on open sources and primary information received directly by the author from within Belarus.The analysis establishes the simultaneous existence of two distinct practices: forced expulsion through “release” and release with termination of criminal status. This document forms part of the research series “Forced Expulsion through ‘Release’”.Recommended citation (research series):Baradzin, Aleh (2026).Forced Expulsion through “Release”: Conceptual and Analytical Framework of the Research Series. Recommended citation (this document):Baradzin, Aleh (2026).Fourth Wave of Political Prisoner Releases in Belarus (19 March 2026): Configuration of Practices - Forced Expulsion and Release with Termination of Criminal Status.Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19295816