Supreme Court chairman hints at possible release of more political prisoners
July 21, Pozirk. Belarus may release some of the 2020 protesters during the ongoing amnesty campaign, said Valancin Sukała, chairman of the country’s Supreme Court.
It may have mercy on those who “have not committed any dangerous actions against law-enforcement officers,” he said on the state-run Belarus 1 television channel.
Fourteen pardoned protesters have already been released, he said, adding that Alaksandar Łukašenka makes such decisions on an individual basis.
Earlier, human rights activists said 18 political prisoners were released on July 3, four women and 14 men, including Ryhor Kastusioŭ, the cancer-stricken Belarusian Popular Front leader who was serving a 10-year prison sentence. The activists withheld the names of the others for safety reasons. It is unclear whether all 18 were sentenced for protesting or other forms of dissent.
On July 2, Łukašenka announced the release of his critically ill opponents and signed the amnesty law marking the 80th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazis. The law does not apply to prisoners on the extremism register.
According to the activists, not all of those released were in a critical condition.
