What political prisoners will be included in the amnesty? :: Charter'97 :: News

Internal Ministry has started to get ready for an amnesty. As the press-service of Alyaksandr Lukashenka confirmed, on February 13 the president ordered Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumau to start groundwork for an amnesty of persons who had committed less serious crimes. Radio Svaboda has been told in the ministry that the work is underway.

A former judge Harry Pahanyajla reminds that an amnesty in Belarus is usually timed to state holidays. In 2005 it took place in the run-up to Victory Day, a year earlier – before October revolution day. But a law can be adopted in any moment the regime needs, Harry Pahanyajla believes. The human rights activist does not exclude that most political prisoners would be included in the amnesty.

“Naturally the enacting clause of the law would not state that we release this or that person because of demands of the society. The regime certainly wouldn’t do that. But in fact it could be a fulfilment of certain demands of Europe fulfilled under a guise of amnesty to criminals,” the human rights activist said.

Harry Pahanyajla is convinced that the Belarusian authorities would never allow independent experts to visit prisons and define whether political prisoners exist in the country. As we have informed, it was one of the conditions for Europe’s dialogue with Minsk declared by the PACE chairman Rene van der Linden.

Who among political prisoners has chances to be released thanks to amnesty? A lawyer Alyaksandr Halieu who defended the Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich imprisoned for a year and a half said:

“If his term would be shortened for a year under the amnesty, while he had served half a year already, after the law of amnesty Dashkevich is to be released,” Alyaksandr Halieu believes. He reminds that the administration of the colony is to take into account conduct of the prisoner. Zmitser Dashkevich has been reprimanded twice already.

A human rights activist Valyantsin Stefanovich says chances are high for release of all politician prisoners except Alyaksandr Kazulin.

“In case there would be an amnesty, Finkevich, Sevyarynets, Statkevich are to be released. In fact they have served their terms already, and amnesty would cover these terms almost fully. The same with Sadouskaya, and besides she is in a special group of prisoners, elderly women. And there would be a problem with Kazulin. No amnesty could eliminate 5.5 years of imprisonment, unless he would be pardoned by Lukashenka personally,” the human rights activist said.

As Kazulin’s lawyer Ihar Rynkevich says, his client does not plead guilty and demands not an amnesty or early conditional release, but reversal of the verdict.