{"id":119022,"date":"2024-12-19T15:15:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T12:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/119022\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"us-embassy-calls-for-release-of-all-belarusian-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/119022\/","title":{"rendered":"US Embassy calls for release of all Belarusian political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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December 19, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>The United States Embassy in Belarus has welcomed the release of more than 200 political prisoners since early July and urged Belarusian authorities to free all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The winter holidays are a wonderful opportunity to gather with loved ones and share special moments together. However, not everyone has this chance: over 1,250 political prisoners are unjustly behind bars in Belarus,” it said on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since early July, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has pardoned 207 people, including the most recent group of 29 people convicted of extremism-related crimes, yet rights groups designated more people as new political prisoners in this period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of December 16, human rights defenders identified at least 1,276 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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