Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. This action follows an agreement with the United States to lift sanctions imposed on the Eastern European country.
Maria Kolesnikova had been imprisoned since 2020. Her sister, Tatiana, confirmed the release to the BBC after a video call. A group of the freed prisoners is expected to arrive in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, where a gathering is reported outside the US embassy.
The US has agreed to lift sanctions on potash, a key component in fertilizer and a significant export for Belarus. US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, who participated in talks in Minsk, stated that the sanctions on potash would be lifted immediately. Coale also indicated that further sanctions could be lifted as relations between the two countries normalize.
The United States had not recognized Alexander Lukashenko as president following elections five years prior, which resulted in street protests and arrests. The European Union also maintains non-recognition of Lukashenko as president. Western sanctions on Belarus were intensified after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, during which Russian troops entered Ukraine via Belarus and launched missiles from its territory.
During discussions with Lukashenko, US Envoy Coale reportedly addressed the situation in Ukraine and explored potential assistance from Minsk in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This engagement with Belarus signifies a shift in US policy, differing from the European approach of sanctions and isolation.