Unlike previous acts of indemnity, this one has political component

The House of Representatives adopted the draft "On amnesty of convicts" on Wednesday, June 27. The draft was adopted in two readings very quickly. However, the law is unlikely to be applied to the current authorities' opponents.

“It differs from the previous drafts because it has a political component added to it, - explains human rights defender Valyantsin Stefanovich. -  A political article has been added to the article of the Criminal Code the amnesty cannot be applied to. There have never been such components like article #342 in the law before ("Group activities rudely violating the civil order" or "Slandering the President "). These are petty crimes and they have been added on the same list as murder, brigandage and terrorism".

Valyantsin Stefanovich has flatly rejected the possibility of any "political" prisoners being amnestied.

“The amnesty cannot be applied to Pavel Sevyarynets as it was applied to him in the period between 2005 and 2012, - explains Valyantsin Stefanovich. - All the convicts put on probation (Halip, Nyaklyayeu, Rymasheuski and others) cannot be amnestied either. The same is applied to Pochobut. All the others who could benefit from the amnesty are "habitual disturbers" - Byalyatski, Statkevich and Dashkevich. Autuhovich, Statkevich and Vaskovich's regime has been made even stricter".

The authorities' opponents are probably punished regularly to deprive them of any possibility to be amnestied. Byalyatski would not have been released, but his term of imprisonment could have been reduced by 12 months.

Valyantsіn Stefanovіch: “By the way, Ales Byalyatski could be amnestied but for the penalties that were imposed on him".

Head of the national security commission of the House of Representatives Ihnatsi Misurahin was in charge of the amnesty draft. He has refused to answer Euroradio's question why article 324 of the Criminal Code was added to the draft:

“There are no political prisoners in our country. Spot provoking me with such questions".

The law "On Amnesty" will come into power after it is adopted by the Council of the Republic , signed by the President and published.