Łukašenka pardons 23 ahead of election

January 18, Pozirk. An edict to pardon 23 more people who committed “extremist” crimes has been signed, Alaksandar Łukašenka’s press office reported today, linking it to “principles of humanism.”

Among them are three women. Thirteen are over 50, 14 are chronically ill and 12 are parents, including a father with many children.

“Those pardoned are given a chance to return to normal life. The interior ministry will ensure control over their law-abiding behavior,” the report said.

This is the first batch of pardoned political prisoners in 2025.

Last year there were eight waves of pardons. In early July, Łukašenka announced the release of his critically ill opponents, after which 18 political prisoners reportedly gained freedom. Later he issued more pardons, bringing the number of those released to 250.

At the same time, authorities continue to arrest people for political reasons and courts often issue sentences in politically-motivated trials, according to rights activists. Repression has intensified in the run-up to January’s presidential election.

The Belarusian human rights groups have identified 1,244 political prisoners, but the actual number is significantly higher.

Officials deny the existence of political prisoners in Belarus, arguing that its Criminal Code does not contain any “political” articles. The government uses extremism, incitement, disorder and similar charges for reprisals.

Politics

Politics

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January 13, Pozirk. Pavieł Sapiełka, a lawyer with the Viasna Human Rights Center, has expressed concern about new changes to the Criminal Code that passed the House of Representatives last week, noting that the legislation paves the way for large-scale …

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