Pardon news
The gist
A wave of pardon news spans the US, Israel and Belarus in late September 2026.
The common thread is how clemency power is used, and who it benefits.
How it unfolded
- 2016Israeli soldier Elor Azaria killed a wounded Palestinian; he was convicted by a military court in 2017 and sentenced to 18 months, later reduced to 14 months, and released in May 2018 after serving nine months.
- 2019Then-Gov. Bruce Rauner granted Thompson a pardon.
- Sep 16, 2026A prisoner release of 25 followed US envoy John Coale's visit to Belarus.