Belarus releases 15 political prisoners from jail

Self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree pardoning 18 convicted individuals, 15 of whom had been sentenced under "extremism" articles.

Source: European Pravda, citing Zerkalo.io, a Belarusian news website

Details: Lukashenko's press service said he had signed a decree pardoning 18 people, including 15 convicted of "extremism-related crimes".

Eleven of those pardoned are women, including one who is heavily pregnant and a girl who was imprisoned at the age of 16.

According to Lukashenko's office, the pardoned individuals "admitted guilt, repented and promised to lead a law-abiding life".

According to the Belarusian Viasna Human Rights Centre, as of 5 March there are 1,140 political prisoners in Belarus.

Background:

• Since mid-2025, following contacts between the administration of Donald Trump and Lukashenko and the easing of US sanctions, more than 100 Belarusian political prisoners have been released from prisons. Among them were some of the most prominent detainees, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, opposition politician Viktor Babariko and his ally Maria Kolesnikova.
• In late February 2025, well-known political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich was also released. After his first release in autumn 2025, he refused to leave the country and was later imprisoned again; in January he suffered a stroke.
• In June 2025, opposition figure Sergei Tikhanousky – the husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – was also freed.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!