Lukashenko pardons 37 people convicted of extremism

(Patria) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 37 people convicted of extremism, the office of the Belarusian head of state announced yesterday.

Belarusian authorities most often use the term "extremist" for opposition activists.

According to the announcement from the Office of the President of Belarus, among the pardoned prisoners are six women and individuals with health problems.

The identities of the prisoners released by Lukashenko have not been disclosed.

According to data from the Belarusian non-governmental organization Viasna, there are more than 1,300 political prisoners in Belarus.

In August, Lukashenko pardoned 30 people convicted of participating in political protests in the country in 2020.

At that time, Belarusian authorities suppressed mass demonstrations with police after elections that the opposition and the West claimed were rigged, reports RSE.

"Some of them are seriously ill and of retirement age. All those pardoned admitted guilt and sincerely repented for what they did," the office of the Belarusian president announced at the time.