11 political prisoners freed (List)

Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed a decree to pardon 11 participants of the events on December 19, 2010, “on principles of humanity”.

BelTA news agency has learnt this from the presidential press service.

As Radio Svanboda reports, Pavel Vinahradau was released from a penal colony. The political prisoner’s wife, Svyatlana Vinahradava, was told in the colony that her husband would be freed at 7 in the evening. The colony authorities promised to give him a lift to the nearest railway station. Fyodar Mirzayanau was released from the same penal colony.

Alyaksandr Klaskouski senior said his son was on his way to Minsk. Alyaksandr Klaskouski, Uladzimir Loban and Dzmitry Novik were released from the penal colony in Shklou.

Alyaksandr Atroshchankau has also been freed, his father says. Alyaksandr was taken to the central railway station, where former political prisoner Syarhei Parsyukevich met him. Alyaksandr’s father drove to Vitsebsk to take his son to Minsk.

Alyaksandr Mauchanau was freed from penal colony Nr 15 in Mahilou. Radio Svaboda learnt this from his mother Halina. She phoned to the colony and an officer on duty said ASlyaksandr had been released at 7 pm. He is going to Barysau.

Aleh Fedarkevich, Dzmitry Bulanau and Illya Vasilevich were also pardoned, the website spring96.org informs.

Mikita Likhavid is reported to have been freed as well, but this information has not been confirmed yet.

We remind that a protest demonstration against the rigged presidential elections that gathered thousands of people was brutally suppressed in Minsk on December 19, 2010. Hundreds of protesters were arrested, scores of people, including presidential candidates Andrei Sannikov, Mikalai Statkevich and Dzmitry Uss, were sentenced to long prison terms. Before pardoning, 15 political prisoners convicted for the demonstration and 2 activists (Zmitser Dashkevich and Eduard Lobau) accused of hooliganism on the day before the elections were behind bars. Businessman Mikalai Autukhovich and human rights activists Ales Byalyatski, both recognized political prisoners by the international community, remain in prison.