The President of Belarus, Oleksandr Lukashenko, signed a decree pardoning 23 people convicted of crimes officially classified as “extremist”. This was reported by the Lukashenka press service.
According to the information, all pardoned allegedly submitted personal requests for pardon, admitted their guilt and expressed remorse. Their names have not been released, but it is specified that among the pardoned 13 people are over 50 years old, 14 have chronic diseases, and 12 have children, including one father with many children.
The press service of the President of Belarus claims that the pardon decision is based on “humanistic principles.” It is stated that those pardoned are given the opportunity to “return to normal life”. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus will monitor their further behavior to ensure compliance with the law.
We will remind that at the end of December 2024, Lukashenko signed a similar decree, according to which 20 people with similar charges were pardoned. These decisions raise questions about their selectivity and real motives, given that in Belarus, charges of “extremism” are often leveled against political opponents and public activists.
