The Belarus president says some seriously ill political prisoners will be released

Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus said he will release some seriously ill political prisoners who were jailed during protests against his authoritarian rule in 2020. It’s the first time Lukashenko has mentioned releasing political prisoners on humanitarian grounds since mass protests rocked the country after his disputed reelection for a sixth term in office. Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Belarusian opposition and the West denounced the election as a sham. According to the Viasna human rights center, there are currently 1,409 political prisoners in Belarus, including Ales Bialiatski, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. At least six have died behind bars.