MINSK, August 15 (Itar-Tass) — All nine persons involved in criminal proceedings in connection with mass disorder in Minsk on December 19, 2010 after the presidential election, have been set free. They have been pardoned by President Alexander Lukashenko.
President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned nine convicts in the Minsk riots case on August 11. The presidential press service said that the decision was based on request of the convicts, who had realized their illegal actions and apologized sincerely.
A total of 41 people were convicted of riots following the presidential election in Belarus. These include former presidential candidates Nikolai Statkevich, Dmitry Uss and Andrei Sannikov who were sentenced to 6, 5.5 and 5 years in custody correspondingly. The court passed a two-year suspended sentence with a two-year deferral on ex-presidential candidate Vladimir Neklyayev and a two-year suspended sentence on ex-candidate Vitaly Rymashevsky.
The list of pardoned people includes Dmitry Drozd, Artyom Gribkov, Sergei Kazakov, Yevgeny Sekret, Vassily Parfenkov, Vladimir Yeremenyuk, Vitaly Matsukevich and Alexander Knyatkevich, who were released from custody on Saturday, August 13.
Vladimir Khomichenko has been set free on Monday.