Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 32 prisoners ahead of Belarusian Independence Day, 28 of them convicted of crimes “of an extremist nature,” the Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported.
Among those freed were 20 women and 12 men. Lukashenko’s press service said all of them “had petitioned for clemency, acknowledging their guilt and expressing remorse.” “The decision was made on the basis of the principle of humanism toward the convicted and their families,” the statement said.
The names of those pardoned were not disclosed.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya commented on Lukashenko’s decision:
The release of 28 political prisoners is, above all, a relief for their families — for those who have been separated from their loved ones and have been living in hope of being reunited. At the same time, we must not forget that hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, and every one of them must be released. We are waiting to welcome each of them home.
Lukashenko began signing pardons for those convicted of crimes “of an extremist nature” in 2024. In June 2025, blogger and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released from prison in Belarus.
On December 13, 2025, Alexander Lukashenko, as part of agreements with U.S. President Donald Trump, pardoned 123 political prisoners.
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