Putin Ally Pardons 30 Prisoners Jailed for ‘Protest-Related Crimes’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, pardoned 30 prisoners this week who had been sentenced for “protest-related crimes.”

On Wednesday, Lukashenko announced the pardons via his press service, marking the third time he has pardoned prisoners in the past three months.

In a statement, Lukashenko’s press service said that those who were pardoned “admitted their guilt, sincerely repented and promised to lead a law-abiding life.” The statement did not indicate the identities of those pardoned but did note that it included seven women.

Belarus currently holds around 1,400 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and Polish journalist Andrzej Poczobut, whose release is being sought by Poland. According to the Viasna human rights center, at least six political prisoners have died in custody in the country.

Last month, Lukashenko pardoned a different set of 30 individuals convicted for participating in mass protests, including journalists and activists with serious health conditions. In July, 18 political prisoners were also released, among them Ryhor Kastusiou, the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, who is battling severe cancer.

In 2020, Belarus experienced its largest-ever protests following an election that awarded Lukashenko a sixth term but was widely condemned by the opposition and the West as fraudulent. During the ensuing protests, 65,000 people were arrested, and hundreds of thousands of people fled the country, according to the Viasna human rights group.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an opposition leader in Belarus, applauded the latest pardons but noted that there are still “thousands of innocent political prisoners” throughout the nation. Tsikhanouskaya’s husband is one of the political prisoners who was sentenced to 19.5 years for organizing the 2020 protests.

“We need constant international pressure to achieve freedom for all political prisoners,” Tsikhanouskaya said, adding that censorship and repression in Belarus is “continuing and intensifying.”

According to the Viasna human rights center, 33 activists would be standing trial in Belarus this week for political protests. Over 200 people have been sentenced for protesting-related crimes in Belarus in the past three months.

Analysts suggest that Lukashenko is working to improve his image ahead of the upcoming presidential campaign. Belarus is set to hold a presidential election in 2025, and Lukashenko, who has ruled for 30 years, has already confirmed his intention to run for a seventh term.

Analyst Valery Karbalevich said that once political prisoners are pardoned in Belarus, “their places are immediately taken by other political prisoners.”

Releasing political prisoners, he said, is an effort by Belarusian authorities to show the West that Belarus is humanizing its image to gain recognition for the 2025 presidential election.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.