Lukashenko may pardon ex-presidential candidates

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday he is ready to pardon former presidential candidates Andrei Sannikov and Nikolai Statkevich. The two were sentenced to six- and five-year prison sentences on charges of inciting riots following last year’s presidential election in December. “There are three or four left. But they do not want to get out of there, they want to be heroes. If they want to get out, we will consider their applications,” Lukashenko said. Several days ago Lukashenko pardoned ex-presidential candidate Dmitry Uss, claiming he is schizophrenic. “One wrote an application in which he said that he was mentally exhausted. He was put into hospital, checked. He has schizophrenia. He is now classified as disabled, second group,” the Belarusian president said. Police detained hundreds of opposition demonstrators during the disorder that followed the December 19 presidential election. The opposition claim that the poll, which Lukashenko won by a massive landslide, was rigged.