Belarus leader Lukashenko pardons 32 prisoners convicted for ‘extremism’

Human authorities group Viasna reports 1,275 governmental prisoners still jailed and look harsh conditions.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned dozens of governmental prisoners, his agency said, but critics warned that nan crackdown connected dissent continues, pinch much than 1,000 group still imprisoned since wide demonstrations successful 2020.

The 32 prisoners pardoned were “convicted of extremist crimes”, nan presidency said successful a connection connected Wednesday. Seventeen of them suffer from chronic diseases and 9 were older than 50.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs will guarantee power complete their law-abiding behaviour,” it said.

This marked nan sixth activity of pardons of governmental prisoners since July this year, pinch a full of 178 group released, according to a tally based connected information from quality authorities groups.

“It fills my bosom pinch joyousness that different 32 governmental prisoners successful Belarus are group to beryllium released,” said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an exiled guidance leader who claimed triumph successful nan 2020 election.

“However, we must spot nan harsh reality: repression continues & nan number of governmental prisoners keeps growing,” she said successful a station connected societal media level X.

Lukashenko suppressed wide protests successful nan aftermath of nan disputed 2020 election.

He was re-elected to a sixth consecutive word successful a ballot rejected by astir of nan world organization complete wide allegations of fraud. The predetermination was followed by a drawstring of arguable authorities aimed astatine further crushing dissent, including nan criminalisation of disapproval against nan president.

According to nan Viasna quality authorities group, astatine slightest 1,275 governmental prisoners stay down bars since 2020.

Most of them were convicted for insulting Lukashenko, pinch much than 500 being sentenced to imprisonment successful penal colonies, nan group said.

As nan state gears up for the adjacent statesmanlike election successful January 2025, repression has further intensified, according to Viasna. Between September and mid-November, astatine slightest 1,213 governmental administrative cases were heard successful courts pinch nan mostly of cases being related to “spreading extremist material”, nan group said.

Lukashenko has ruled nan state since 1994 pinch an robust fist. He has moved Minsk person to Moscow and allowed Russia to usage Belarus arsenic a staging station for its 2022 penetration of Ukraine – a move that further strained nan country’s ties pinch nan West.

Political prisoners are held successful reliable conditions, often denied entree to lawyers and interaction pinch relatives connected nan outside.

Last week, jailed protestation leader Maria Kolesnikova was photographed gathering her begetter successful what appeared to beryllium a situation infirmary – nan first news connected her information successful 20 months.

Recently released prisoners surviving successful exile person told nan AFP news agency that it is almost intolerable to lead a normal life successful Belarus arsenic a erstwhile governmental prisoner, pinch group remaining nether adjacent watch and struggling to find employment.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies