Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski. This action follows an agreement where the United States committed to lifting sanctions on the Eastern European nation.
Among those freed is Maria Kolesnikova, who had been imprisoned since 2020. Her sister, Tatiana, confirmed the release to the BBC after a video call. Ales Bialiatski, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was also released. A group of the released prisoners is reportedly expected to arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The US agreement includes the immediate lifting of sanctions on potash, a key component in fertilizer and a significant export for Belarus. John Coale, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, confirmed this statement to Belarusian state media. Coale indicated that further sanctions could be lifted as relations between the two countries normalize.
The prisoner releases and sanction lifting follow discussions held in Minsk with John Coale. Both the US and the European Union have not recognized Alexander Lukashenko as the legitimate president of Belarus, citing disputed elections five years prior. These elections led to public protests that were suppressed by authorities, resulting in hundreds of arrests, including Kolesnikova's. Western sanctions on Belarus were intensified following the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine via Belarusian territory in 2022 and missile launches from Belarus. Coale also stated he discussed the conflict in Ukraine with President Lukashenko and potential assistance Minsk could offer in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This US diplomatic engagement with Minsk represents a divergence from Europe's current policy, which emphasizes sanctions and isolation.