Belarussian authorities on Friday allowed former Polish ambassador to Belarus, Mariusz Maszkiewicz, jailed for taking part in an unauthorized rally, to be released early.

Maszkiewicz, who served as ambassador to Belarus between 1998-2002, was detained in the capital Minsk on March 24 during a predawn police operation to break up an unauthorized opposition rally in the October Square. He was later sentenced by a Minsk court to 15 days in jail for taking part in the rally.

Belarussian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Popov, quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency, said authorities permitted the early release of Maszkiewicz as "a goodwill gesture of Belarus."

"We made the decision although he came to Belarus as an individual and breached Belarussian laws," Popov said.

Maszkiewicz was transferred to a Minsk clinic on March 29 due to heart problems and was informed about his early release after he was discharged from the clinic on Friday. He is expected to leave Belarus within 24 hours.

Source: Xinhua