September 4 () –
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday granted a new pardon to 30 people convicted in connection with anti-government protests in the country, the second such measure in less than a month, although details about the identities of the beneficiaries of this decision have not yet been revealed.
The Belarusian presidency has specified in a statement published on its website that all these people “were convicted of crimes related to the protests” and has stressed that this is “a humane gesture towards these people.” “They have been given the opportunity to return to a normal life, to their family and to work,” it stressed.
He said that those pardoned were 23 men and seven women, adding that “the majority” of them were “parents of children and minors.” “All of these individuals met the mandatory conditions for a pardon. They submitted a petition for a pardon, admitted their guilt, sincerely repented and promised to lead a life in line with the law,” he concluded.
Lukashenko had already signed in mid-August the pardon of another 30 people convicted of “crimes related to the protests”, four years after the massive mobilizations against his controversial re-election at the polls for a new term, the sixth since the country separated from the Soviet Union.
The president won with 80 percent of the vote, which led to a wave of protests against the results. Security forces harshly repressed the demonstrations amid international criticism of the election and the imposition of sanctions against Minsk.
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