Belarus releases a fraction of
Photo: Peter Dejong/AP/TT

Belarus releases a fraction of prisoners ahead of election

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 32 political prisoners on Wednesday, ahead of the upcoming election. Still, over 1,200 people are imprisoned for regime criticism, and countless are those who are harassed or persecuted for their opinions.

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Seventeen of the prisoners released on Wednesday have chronic diseases, and nine of those pardoned were over 50 years old.

Opposition leader Svetlana Tichanovskaja, who was forced into exile since she considered herself to have won the presidential election in 2020, welcomed the news with a bitter aftertaste:

"My heart is filled with joy that 32 more political prisoners have been released. But we are forced to acknowledge the harsh reality: repression continues and the number of political prisoners increases", she writes on X.

Her husband, who initially ran as a presidential candidate in opposition to Lukashenko but was banned from running and imprisoned, is one of those who still sit in prison.

Human rights organization Viasna claims to be able to verify 1,262 political prisoners, but the actual number is believed to be higher.

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AuthorTT News AgencyEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for our readers
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