Lukashenko has granted clemency to an additional 23 political prisoners.

Among them are three women and twenty men: 14 have chronic illnesses, and 12 have children. All of them submitted petitions for clemency, acknowledged their guilt, and expressed remorse, as noted by Lukashenko's press service.

This marks the eighth clemency in Belarus in six months. Last year, 207 individuals were released, whom human rights defenders considered political prisoners. According to data from the "Viasna" center, as of January 18, there are still 1,244 people in detention in Belarus, imprisoned for political reasons. The list of political prisoners continues to grow ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for next week, on January 26.

Since the summer of 2020, human rights advocates have recognized nearly 3,600 individuals as political prisoners, including 656 women. Many of them have already regained their freedom after serving their sentences.

More news from Radio Free Europe: