UPDATE 1-Belarusian leader Lukashenko frees 16 people in new batch of pardons

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 16 people convicted of various crimes, including "extremism", ahead of the country's independence day, state media reported on Wednesday.

Human rights groups and the exiled opposition say there are about 1,150 political prisoners in Belarus, where Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has ruled for more than three decades. The veteran leader has freed more than 300 people in the past year in an apparent effort to repair ties with the West, which has imposed sanctions on his government over its human rights record and backing for Putin's war in Ukraine.

Those pardoned in the latest batch include eight men and eight women, several of whom have chronic diseases, are disabled or have children under 18, state news agency Belta said. Franak Viacorka, chief political adviser to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, welcomed the releases but said it did not appear that any high-profile dissidents were among the 16.

He said that dozens of people had been sentenced for politically related offences in the past month, so "we don't see a big change of policy". Viacorka told Reuters, however, that the opposition was hopeful of more releases in the coming weeks, after prominent opposition politician Siarhei Tsikhanouski was freed last month following talks between Lukashenko and U.S. presidential envoy Keith Kellogg.

"We have to continue, and we also ask President Trump to get involved and to push for more releases - he has the leverage to do this," Viacorka said.

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