KAZAN, 23 October (BelTA) – Applications for pardons from people convicted of protest-related crimes can be reviewed right now. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko made the relevant statement in an interview with the BBC reporter Steven Rosenberg on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan, BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We have a law: if a person recognizes his or her guilt, appeals to the president just the way it is done in many other countries with a request for a pardon, well, we will review the application. If [Maria] Kolesnikova submits such an application, I will definitely look into it.”
At the same time the president was surprised why the reporter had singled out Maria Kolesnikova while saying that millions of people are in prison in Belarus.
“Because she no longer has access to her family,” the reporter tried to explain.
“What family? Do you even know where her family is? You don’t even know what kind of a family it is. Her father wanted to visit her. Feel free to go. He visited her. Is that the family? If some other relatives and loved ones want to visit her, we will consider their requests. Her family may not be really interested in seeing Maria Kolesnikova as strongly as you are. You care for her more than her relatives and loved ones do. This is why even if you want to visit her, we will consider your application. I am saying we will consider it. We will decide later whether to grant the request or not,” the head of state stated.
“I am dead set against your singling out individual persons. If there is a million in prison, then all the people over there are the same. And Kolesnikova and the rest should explain to these people why they have been imprisoned. Many already say they have gone crazy and have been duped. This is why we consider them as a whole. If a person mends his or her ways, if they don’t break the law while in a correctional facility, if there are problems with health, then it is most likely that we will definitely pardon these people. A commission is available. It will look into it and make a decision,” the president said.
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