June 17, Alexander Lukashenko said at a press conference that there're "no political prisoners in the country, we don't even have such an article." "If you want to see, come to the courts, the courts were open. Here's a picture of you with a cudgel. So get it for a cudgel. Our judiciary is independent," he said.
«You think I’m dictator, so why are you pushing me to break the law? I have the right to pardon under the Constitution, but it is not an obligation. To this end, they must still apply to me. When they ask, then we’ll consider the case,» he said.
«We don’t need them in prison, they are no longer needed in the country. One of these (Alexander Lukashenko means ex-presidential candidate Vladimir Niakliaeu — Telegraf) was among those protesting at the square. And where were you at Square together with the people you’d sent to assault? Why were you in hospital lying under a blanket that one couldn’t even drive you out?» ask Alexander Lukashenko.
«Don’t you know that they copied people from the telephone directory. But they have become candidates and have shown themselves. It is too honorable for them to defile these prisons. There are decent people who got there. I’d better stop as they’ll say that I support the prisoners,» said Alexander Lukashenko.
If the Minister of Foreign Affairs says that they should be free, we’ll consider their cases, the president said.
