Authoritarian Belarus president pardons 37 political prisoners out of more than 1,300

Authoritarian Belarus president pardons 37 political prisoners out of more than 1,300

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday pardoned 37 people serving prison sentences for “extremist” crimes, his office said. It is the fourth time since July that the authoritarian leader has pardoned dozens of political prisoners in what some observers see as an attempt to soften his image. Lukashenko’s office didn’t identify

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Trial starts for French citizen accused of unlawfully collecting military information in Russia

Trial starts for French citizen accused of unlawfully collecting military information in Russia

MOSCOW (AP) — The trial of a French citizen arrested in Russia on charges of unlawfully collecting information on military issues started Monday but was quickly adjourned for a month. Laurent Vinatier, arrested in Moscow in June, had earlier admitted guilt, setting the stage for a fast-track trial without a detailed examination of evidence. But

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