Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 32 individuals convicted of extremism, marking the sixth group of pardons since July 2023, Reuters reports.
The pardoned group includes eight women and 24 men, many of whom are elderly, have chronic illnesses, or are parents. The exact identities of the pardoned individuals were not disclosed and they had all admitted guilt and sought a presidential pardon.
Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the pardons but highlighted ongoing repression, with many activists still imprisoned. Human rights groups report that over 1,200 political prisoners remain detained, more than four years after the 2020 crackdown on protests against Lukashenko’s contested re-election.
