Several political prisoners released in Belarus – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

Tikhanovskaya is the opposition leader in Belarus, and strongly critical of the current regime. – I am happy to see these people free and reunited with their loved ones. But many are still on the lists of humanitarian organisations, she writes in a statement on X. – Already, at least six have died in captivity. They must be released unconditionally. The release, which is urgent, is not a political, but a humanitarian issue, Tikhanovskaja writes further. Tikhanovskaya does not say who or how many it concerns, but demands that the authorities release more. On Friday, the president celebrates the Belarusian National Day in Minsk. Photo: AP The announcement comes one day after President Alexander Lukashenko said he would grant amnesty to some political prisoners with serious health problems. Lukashenko has cracked down hard on opponents, critics and journalists during the 30 years he has been president. – Extremely sick people The human rights group Vyasna estimates that Belarus has more than 1,400 political prisoners today. Among them are the group’s founder, Aljes Byalyatski, and Tikhanovskaya’s husband, Sergej Tikhanovsky. It is not known that some of them are among the prisoners who will be released on Tuesday. Tikhanovskaja held up a picture of her husband during a demonstration in Vilnius in March. Photo: PETRAS MALUKAS / AFP There has also been no official statement on the matter from Lukashenko’s office. But on Monday, the president announced that it could happen. – Don’t be surprised if extremely sick people, as the mass media portray them, are released from prison in the next few days, Lukashenko said on Tuesday, according to the state news agency BeITA. – These are really people with serious illnesses. Mostly with cancer. We treat everyone in a human way. Happening the day after UN demands The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights also asked on Tuesday that Belarus release “all elderly persons who are imprisoned on political grounds”. The UN has received a list of 63 people who are older than 60 years, who are imprisoned for “real or suspected opposition”, it says in the statement. – Several of the prisoners suffer from illnesses that are chronic, acute or serious, and some are persons with functional impairments. It is reported that three people over 60 are in isolation. One of those imprisoned in Belarus is the Nobel Prize winner Aljes Byaljatski. He is 61 years old. Photo: VITALY PIVOVARCHIK / AFP Some of these elderly people are labeled by the Belarusian authorities as extremists or terrorists, the High Commissioner writes further. – These lists are world-renowned for including members of the political opposition and human rights defenders. On 20 June, the Belarusian authorities introduced a change in the law which proposed that prisoners of retirement age should be granted amnesty. The amnesty did not apply to those convicted of the following crimes: Serious disturbance of public order Actions with the aim of weakening national security Forming or participating in an extremist assembly Libel against the president Impairment of the reputation of Belarus as a nation Published 03.07.2024, at 14.50 Updated 03.07.2024, at 15.12



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