Belarus frees five political prisoners in rare amnesty

Activists say three men and two women were released, in a move signalled by Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUK General ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersBelarus frees five political prisoners in rare amnesty20 hours agoBy Matt Murphy, BBC NewsShareGetty ImagesBelarus has freed five political prisoners in a rare amnesty, almost four years after the country's leader Alexander Lukashenko launched a brutal crackdown on his domestic opponents.

The 69-year-old, who has led the country since 1994, launched mass repressions after he claimed victory in the disputed 2020 presidential election. Thousands of people were detained in the protests which followed.

On Tuesday he signalled his intention to release some "seriously ill" prisoners, during a press briefing with reporters in the capital, Minsk.

There are still more than 1,400 political prisoners held in Belarus, according to leading human rights group Viasna.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx92y22nrzdo

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