Lukashenko Pardons 30 Protesters Amid Pressure

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 30 individuals, including 14 women and 16 men, who were convicted for participating in protests. This comes amid ongoing calls from Nobel laureates and human rights groups to release political prisoners. Lukashenko, a long-term ally of Vladimir Putin, has been in power for 30 years and has faced accusations of election rigging and suppression of dissent.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has granted pardons to 30 individuals convicted of participating in protests, as reported by state news agency Belta on Friday.

Although the names of those pardoned were not disclosed, Lukashenko pardoned 14 women and 16 men. The long-serving leader, allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been in power for three decades and has used police and security forces to suppress mass protests following a contested election in 2020.

Recently, dozens of Nobel prize winners have urged Lukashenko to free those detained during these demonstrations. Human rights organizations report that there are approximately 1,400 political prisoners in Belarus. Earlier in July, Lukashenko released an initial group of 18 prisoners, including Ryhor Kastusiou, a veteran opposition figure suffering from cancer.

(With inputs from agencies.)