September 4, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has pardoned seven women and 23 men, convicted on protest-related charges, Pul Pervogo, his press office’s unofficial Telegram channel reports.
All of them have met mandatory conditions for a pardon, including filing a corresponding request and admitting guilt, it said, noting that law enforcers will ensure their law-abiding behavior.
On August 16, Łukašenka pardoned 30 political prisoners, but rights groups have identified 25 persons released as of late August.
These included Ksienija Łuckina, Iryna Sankoŭskaja, Vasil Bieraśnioŭ, Natalla Piatrovič, Volha Novikava, Ała Zujeva, Volha Stabroŭskaja, Kaciaryna Leŭ, Tamara Karavaj, Śviatłana Pałuektava, Jaŭhien Čumiła, Pavieł Kučynski, Rusłan Krasaŭ, Alaksandar Hałuza and Aleh Zykun.
In early July, authorities released 18 political prisoners, among them Ryhor Kastusioŭ, the cancer-stricken Belarusian Popular Front leader who was serving a 10-year prison sentence, according to human rights defenders.
As of September 4, human rights defenders identified at least 1,371 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.
