Belarusian leader Lukashenko pardons 32 prisoners, his administration says

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 32 prisoners, of whom 28 were serving sentences for "extremism", a charge often used against opponents of his government, a Telegram channel linked to his administration said on Wednesday.

Lukashenko has freed hundreds of people to date in return for an easing of U.S. sanctions, but Belarusian human rights group Viasna says well over 800 political prisoners remain in jail.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 3:25 AM.