TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko announced pardons for 16 more prisoners on Wednesday, a gesture that comes as the unrelenting crackdown on dissent continues.
The newly pardoned prisoners were convicted on a variety of criminal charges, including extremism — a charge often used against dissidents and government critics in Belarus. Human rights advocates welcomed the release of the prisoners, but stressed that it is taking place as more people are being arrested in politically driven cases.
Last month, the Belarusian government pardoned and released 14 prisoners, but at least 60 more people were arrested on politically motivated charges, said Pavel Sapelka, a rights advocate with the Viasna human rights center, the country's oldest and most prominent rights group. Sapelka, in conversation with The Associated Press, compared the situation in Belarus to “revolving doors, where new political prisoners take the place of those released."
Mass arrests and convictions of government critics in Belarus have continued since 2020, when Lukashenko was handed a sixth term in office in an election that the opposition and the West denounced as rigged.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protest, in the biggest demonstrations that the country had ever seen. Authorities unleashed a violent crackdown, detaining and beating thousands and driving many more into exile abroad. The suppression of dissent drew international condemnation, and the U.S. and the European Union imposed sanctions on Belarus.
As of Wednesday, Viasna has designated 1,164 people behind bars as political prisoners. The number includes 38 journalists and the group’s founder, Ales Bialiatski, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. At least eight political prisoners have died behind bars.
Lukashenko, who in January secured another term in office in another election the opposition denounced as a sham, has recently been pardoning some political prisoners, seeking to improve ties with the West. In total, he has pardoned and freed more than 300 prisoners since July 2024, including some U.S. citizens and other foreigners.
Last month, Belarusian authorities released prominent opposition figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 others and brought them to Lithuania. Their release came just hours after Belarusian authorities announced that Lukashenko met with U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.
Commenting on the high-profile release on Tuesday evening, Lukashenko said “God forbid” those freed last month died behind bars. “We would have been blamed for doing it to them,” he said. “So it's politics.”
Sapelka told AP on Wednesday that there likely aren't any prominent dissidents among the 16 newly released prisoners.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, June 27, 2025. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has been “deeply touched” by the response to his update on his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said Saturday, adding that the monarch is pleased to have highlighted the value of screening programs for the disease.
Medics and health charities have praised the king for his openness, saying his statement on Friday had already prompted people to seek information about cancer.
In a strikingly personal video statement, the British monarch acknowledged that a cancer diagnosis can feel “overwhelming,” but said catching the disease early brings “the precious gift of hope.”
Here’s what to know about the king's condition and his message.
The 77-year-old king said in a statement broadcast Friday that his treatment schedule will be reduced in the new year, “thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders.’”
He encouraged others to take advantage of screening programs such as those for breast, bowel and cervical cancer offered by Britain’s public health service.
“Early diagnosis quite simply saves lives,” the king said in the statement aired during a “Stand Up to Cancer” telethon on TV station Channel 4. He said catching the disease early had allowed him “to continue leading a full and active life even while undergoing treatment.”
Charles has received outpatient treatment for almost two years. Buckingham Palace did not say the king is in remission, but that his treatment is moving to a “precautionary phase” and his condition will be monitored to ensure his continued recovery.
“I know from my own experience that a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming,” the king said in his video statement. “Yet I also know that early detection is the key that can transform treatment journeys, giving invaluable time to medical teams – and, to their patients, the precious gift of hope.”
Charles announced in February 2024 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and, in a break from centuries of secrecy about royal health, he has since spoken about the illness, using his story to promote cancer awareness and treatment.
The openness has limits, though. The king has not disclosed what type of cancer he has or what kind of treatment he is receiving. The palace said it was an intentional decision designed to ensure his message reaches the widest possible audience.
The king’s cancer was discovered after treatment for an enlarged prostate. While doctors ruled out prostate cancer, tests revealed “a separate issue of concern,” palace officials said last year.
Charles suspended his public appearances for about two months after his diagnosis. Since returning to the public eye, he has visited cancer treatment centers across the country and shared stories with fellow patients.
Buckingham Palace said Charles “will be greatly encouraged and deeply touched by the very positive reaction" his message has generated. “He will be particularly pleased at the way it has helped to shine a light on the benefits of cancer screening programs,” it added.
British cancer charities said the number of people seeking information about cancer jumped after the king revealed he was undergoing treatment last year.
Cancer Research U.K. said about 100,000 people have visited its Screening Checker website since it was launched on Dec. 5, most of them since the king’s statement on Friday.
The charity's Chief Executive Michelle Mitchell said: “When public figures speak openly about their cancer diagnosis, it can prompt others to check in on their health.”
Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, the king’s authorized biographer, said the statement was “a remarkable thing for a monarch to do.”
“It takes guts, and the fact that he came out and did that will save lives,’” Dimbleby said.
The Princess of Wales, who announced her own cancer diagnosis six weeks after her father-in-law, has also given updates on her treatment. Kate announced in January that her cancer is in remission.
Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty
Britain's King Charles III attends an Advent Service at Westminster Abbey, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's King Charles III attends an Advent Service at Westminster Abbey, in London, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP)
