Belarusian president frees six political prisoners ahead of election | News | DW.COM | 23.08.2015
▻http://www.dw.com/en/belarusian-president-frees-six-political-prisoners-ahead-of-election/a-18666605
The president’s press service said late on Saturday that the surprise move have been motivated by humane principles.
Among the six political prisoners was Nikolai Statkevich who was imprisoned alongside nine other opposition leadersafter running against Lukashenko in the 2010 Belarus’ presidential election.
In May 2011 he was given a six-year jail sentence on a charge of organizing mass street protests against Lukashenko’s re-election at the time.
Another of the freed opponents, Mikola Rubsev, had been arrested in the same 2010 protests while wearing a t-shirt calling for Lukashenko to go.
The other four men were accused of belonging to an anarchist group that clashed with the local KGB - the successor of the Soviet secret police.