Official claims Łukašenka pardons jailed opponents annually
Volha Čuprys
March 14, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka annually pardons people convicted in politically-motivated cases, Volha Čuprys, deputy head of his administration, told Belarus 1 TV channel on Wednesday evening.
In 2021, 40 percent of all those pardoned were “individuals who committed so-called protest-related crimes,” the official said.
In 2022, their proportion rose to 77 percent, she added. Several people were pardoned in 2023, Čuprys said, but did not specify the exact numbers for 2021-2023.
On March 13, Łukašenka pardoned 15 prisoners, including nine women, his press office’s Telegram channel reported. Čuprys said it was “a very high figure.”
This year’s amnesty program will cover women with underage children, minors or those who committed crimes as minors, including drug trafficking crimes under aggravating circumstances, the official announced.
The amnesty bill has already been drafted and is “being finalized,” she noted.
Rights group records 4,690 politically-motivated convictions since 2020
March 4, Pozirk. Since the fall of 2020, 4,690 people have been convicted on politically-motivated criminal charges in Belarus, says a recent report by the Viasna Human Rights Center. In late February, rights groups considered 1,410 people political prisoners with …