Belarus releases 25 political prisoners in exchange for lifting US sanctions

Belarus has released 25 political prisoners in exchange for the lifting of American sanctions targeting two companies in this country allied with Moscow, announced White House envoy John Coale on Wednesday in Minsk.

Belarusian authorities have released hundreds of people in recent years, after the resumption of dialogue with Washington, initiated with the return of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. Hundreds more remain imprisoned since the massive protests of 2020. The NGO Viesna, one of the main human rights organizations in Belarus, says the country still has 886 political prisoners.

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“President Trump's commitment to direct diplomacy is paying off. Thank you, Mr. President Lukashenko, for this initiative, and thank you to our Lithuanian friends for their support,” John Coale posted on X, with a photo showing a group of men and women and suggesting their arrival in Lithuania.

“Lukachenko does not want to release all political prisoners”

According to the Viesna organization, journalist Andreï Alexandrov, human rights activists and political science researcher Tatiana Kouzina were notably released. The Washington envoy assured that he was working to “obtain the release of other people in the very near future.” John Coale had previously indicated in a video broadcast by the press service of the Belarusian presidency that in exchange for these releases, the United States was lifting its sanctions against two companies. A Belarusian official said the two companies in question are paint and varnish manufacturer Lakokraska and wood and furniture producer Bellesbumprom.

The Belarusian opponent in exile, Svetlana Tikhanovskaïa, welcomed these new releases, while calling for their efforts to continue because, according to her, “it is clear that Lukashenko does not want to release all political prisoners”. “The United States and Europe must continue to coordinate their efforts and support the process to obtain the release of those detained,” she said, in a video in English. According to her, it is “hundreds” of people. Western countries adopted sanctions against Belarus after the repression of the 2020 protest movement which challenged the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994.

Other sanctions were taken after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow having used Belarusian territory as a rear base to launch this large-scale attack. Minsk has carried out several waves of releases of political prisoners in recent years, notably releasing figures from the protest movement such as Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski. However, human rights NGOs claim that the Belarusian government continues to arrest and imprison other dissidents. The repression in Belarus has pushed hundreds of thousands of people to flee the country, particularly to neighboring Poland and the Baltics.