Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, is looking to reelect himself for the seventh time. In the run-up to the January 2025 presidential elections, Lukashenko has pardoned prisoners convicted of extremism, claiming that it was a "humane gesture" toward those who had "gone astray." Far from being criminals, those […]
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko freed 23 Belarusians convicted of "extremist crimes," his press office reported on Jan. 18. Lukashenko has pardoned political prisoners in rounds since July, a move that many see as an attempt to boost his approval rating ahead of the 2025 presidential election. However, political persecution continues in Belarus, according to human […]
Several months ago, most of these infantrymen were serving their sentences behind bars. Now, they are part of the 1st Separate Assault Battalion, known as "Da Vinci." The Kyiv Independent spent a day with the unit, learning about what motivates former prisoners to become soldiers and what challenges their command faces in making them effective […]