{"id":117360,"date":"2024-12-09T14:59:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T11:59:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117360\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lukasenka-pardons-29-people-sentenced-over-politics","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/117360\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka pardons 29 people sentenced over politics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (pixabay.com)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

December 9, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has signed an edict, pardoning 11 women and 18 men convicted of extremism-related crimes, his press office reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of them \u201crepented of what they had done and asked for a pardon,\u201d it added. Three of them are reportedly seniors, 15 people suffer from chronic diseases and two have disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since early July, the Belarusian ruler has pardoned 207 people, yet rights groups designated more people as new political prisoners in this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 9, human rights defenders identified at least 1,283 political prisoners but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of them were imprisoned for taking part in 2020 peaceful protests against election fraud and for online comments critical of the government. Authorities in Belarus have equated criticism, solidarity, advocacy, the free media and free expression to extremism and terrorism.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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