December 28, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has signed an edict pardoning 20 more people convicted of extremism-related crimes, his press office announced today.
The group includes 11 women, 14 people have chronic diseases and 10 parents (one woman has four children).
“All of them petitioned for pardon and repented of their deeds,”
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs will monitor their behavior after the release,” it said.
It is the eighth group granted clemency in the last six months. In early July, Łukašenka announced the release of his critically ill opponents, after which 18 political prisoners were released. Later he issued more pardons, bringing the number of the forgiven to 227.
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. The repression has intensified in the run-up to January’s presidential election.
The Belarusian human rights groups have identified 1,253 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 politically-motivated reprisals.
