Alexander Lukashenko pardons another 15 people, including 13 convicted of what Belarus calls ‘extremist’ crimes

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has granted pardons to 15 individuals, including 13 accused of "extremist offenses," according to BelTA. All 15 petitioned for release, admitted their guilt, expressed remorse for their actions, and pledged to lead law-abiding lives. The pardons come as part of an ongoing agreement with the U.S. to lift sanctions in exchange for their release.

Notable among the pardoned are opposition leaders Viktor Babariko and Maria Kolesnikova. Despite these releases, hundreds of political prisoners remain detained in Belarus, with the human rights group Viasna estimating over 800. Meduza, committed to transparency, reports this story, which was written by a journalist and translated using AI while being reviewed by an editor.