Nasha Niva journalists have discovered that authorities had begun to compile lists of jailed persons who may soon be released under political amnesty in an atmosphere of complete secrecy.
The lists are allegedly being prepared by an investigative body. The documents of this case are marked with the abbreviation “FOU” – for official use.
There is no exact information about who will be affected by the amnesty, but the prisoners guilty of “petty crimes” like putting on inscriptions are released. At the same time, sources do not guarantee 100% that there will be a release.
In early June, it was reported that those convicted in political cases were offered to write a petition for clemency addressed to Lukashenka. Those who wrote, allegedly, were promised release by July 3.
Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Center “Vyasna” Valyantsin Stefanovich recently told Deutsche Welle the principal position of the Belarusian human rights defenders: all political prisoners must be released, without exception.
“We believe that there should be a broad amnesty, and everything should be formalized by the law on amnesty, namely political. For example, in neighboring Russia, such political amnesties have been applied several times.
According to Stefanovich, it may be the first step to de-escalate the situation in the country. Still, the event must not turn into a trade and release of political prisoners.
As of 15 June, there were 481 political prisoners in Belarus.
belsat.eu
