Belarus frees 25 prisoners in exchange for US lifting some sanctions
Belarusian authorities have agreed to release 25 prisoners following a deal that sees the United States remove sanctions against two Belarusian firms, according to Washington’s special envoy.
John Coale, President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, announced the agreement on Wednesday after conferring in Minsk with the country's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has pressed for all remaining American sanctions to be lifted.
"25 prisoners are free today!" Coale stated on X, writing that "President Trump’s commitment to direct diplomacy delivers results." He expressed gratitude toward Lukashenko and officials in neighboring EU member state Lithuania for their role.
"We will continue to improve U.S.-Belarus relations and are working to secure the release of more people in the very near future," Coale added. "We are not finished!"
In comments to reporters in Minsk, Coale described the arrangement as "an interim deal" and "as a show of good will." Under the terms, Washington will lift sanctions on Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom in exchange for the release of the 25 individuals. He indicated that further prisoner releases and sanctions relief would follow as finalized details are established.
Official sources in Belarus have not yet announced specifics regarding the release.
Lukashenko has maintained control over the country of 9.5 million for over 30 years. Western nations have repeatedly sanctioned his regime over human rights abuses and for allowing Moscow to utilize Belarusian land to launch the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Following Trump’s return to the White House for a second term, Lukashenko has freed hundreds of political prisoners under U.S.-mediated agreements that rolled back certain sanctions.
Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the release while pointing out the vast number of citizens who remain captive.
"This is an important step, but only a step," Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press. "Many political prisoners remain behind bars."
She stated that for Lukashenko, "people are bargaining chips — something he can trade and then replace with new hostages," adding that "we have to break this vicious cycle of repression."
Data from the Viasna human rights center shows that Belarus still holds 887 political prisoners.
Tsikhanouskaya, who greeted the released individuals in Vilnius, Lithuania, warned that the move does not signal democratic progress. "Repressions are continuing," she said. "Ultimately, every political prisoner must be released."
Under a U.S.-brokered deal in March, Lukashenko freed 250 political prisoners, while Washington lifted sanctions on two Belarusian state banks, the Finance Ministry, and major potash producers. An April exchange involving Poland resulted in 10 individuals being freed, including journalist Andrzej Poczobut.
Mass street demonstrations erupted following a 2020 election widely seen as fraudulent, triggering a crackdown in which tens of thousands were detained. Five years later, Lukashenko won a seventh term in a vote rejected by the opposition as a farce.
Those freed Wednesday included media managers Andrei Aliaksandrau and Liudmila Chekina, alongside journalists Dzmitry Navazhylau and Kiryl Pazniak.
Viasna lawyer Pavel Sapelka noted that authorities confiscated the passports of several released prisoners, calling it "forced deportation."
"Lukashenko's regime is simply throwing dissidents out, getting rid of dangerous voices inside the country," Sapelka told the AP.
