WARSAW: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned around 30 inmates convicted over protest demonstration, the presidential website said. Lukashenko inked a decree pardoning 30 prisoners convicted for crimes linked to protests,” the statement said, without giving their names.
The statement added that they admitted guilt, sincerely repented for what they committed and expressed resolve to a law-abiding way of life. Putin-ally Lukashenko crushed pro-democracy protest demonstration following an election on August 9, 2020, in which the government was widely denounced for having allegedly falsified results.
Leading rights group Viasna says Belarus has about 1,400 political prisoners. It added that thousands of people have fled the country. Viasna said that 18 political prisoners were amnestied or released on exchange in July.
Lukashenko last month pardoned a German citizen, Rico Krieger, sentenced to death on espionage allegations, who was exchanged in a large-scale prisoner swap involving Russia and the US.
