Belarus frees 52 prisoners after Trump appeal, U.S. eases some sanctions on Minsk

Belarus released 52 prisoners of various nationalities on Thursday following a request from U.S. President Donald Trump, with the detainees heading to Lithuania alongside the U.S. delegation that negotiated their release, the U.S. embassy in Vilnius confirmed.

Trump had urged Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to free individuals whom the U.S. leader referred to as "hostages." Belarus later confirmed the release of the prisoners.

In return for Lukashenko’s gesture, Washington will provide sanctions relief to Belarus' national airline, Belavia, permitting it to service and purchase components for its fleet, which includes Boeing aircraft, according to the U.S. embassy spokesperson in Vilnius.

This release marks the largest batch of prisoners freed by the Belarusian leader, who is attempting to rebuild relations with the U.S. following years of isolation and sanctions on his country. However, it falls short of the 1,300 or 1,400 prisoners whose release Trump had called for in a conversation with Lukashenko last month and in subsequent social media posts.

Among those released was Ihar Losik, 33, a journalist sentenced to 15 years in a penal colony in 2021 for inciting hatred and organising riots, according to the U.S. embassy in Vilnius.

The embassy could not immediately confirm if prominent critics of Lukashenko’s long-standing rule, such as human rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski, co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, were included in the release.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the exiled Belarusian opposition and wife of Siarhei, who was released from prison in June, stated that Thursday’s release accounted for only 4% of those deemed political prisoners. She argued that this did not signal any real shift in Lukashenko’s policies.

“We welcome their release, but in essence, this is a trade in human lives – people who should never have been imprisoned in the first place,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement to Reuters, urging the European Union to continue sanctions against Belarus until democracy is restored.

Belarus' state news agency, Belta, reported that the release included 14 foreign nationals from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, France, Britain, and Germany.

‘Rare Act of Personal Friendship’

Belta quoted John Coale, a lawyer who led the U.S. delegation, stating that Trump had told Lukashenko that Washington wanted to reopen its embassy in Minsk. Coale had earlier handed a letter from Trump, simply signed “Donald,” to the Belarusian President, which was described by Coale as a “rare act of personal friendship.”

The Belarusian leader, responding, said: “If Donald insists that he is ready to take in all these released prisoners, God bless you, let's try to work out a global deal, as Mr. Trump likes to say, a big deal.” He also praised Trump for seeking peace in Ukraine, adding, "Our main task is to stand with Trump and help him in his mission to establish peace."

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for over three decades with an authoritarian grip, recently said that he was not prepared to release "bandits" who could "wage war" against the state. Trump has stated his intention to meet Belarusian leader, whom the West has long regarded as a pariah, describing him as a “very respected man, strong person, strong leader.”

The release of prisoners came a day after Poland shot down what it claimed were Russian drones over its territory and just before joint military exercises involving Russia and Belarus. Belarus shares borders with three NATO countries and Ukraine. Lukashenko allowed Putin to use Belarusian territory during the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, though the Belarusian army has not directly participated in the conflict.

Vytis Jurkonis, a Belarusian human rights activist leading the Vilnius office of Freedom House, a U.S.-funded human rights group, told Reuters that the Belarusian President is using the release of prisoners to leverage his influence.

"The President of Belarus is dragging out the release of political prisoners because he doesn't have much else to bargain with the West. At the same time, he continues to arrest more prisoners," Jurkonis said. "He is using the releases to create the illusion of change in Belarus, but real change would occur if the terror in the country ceased, the exiles were allowed to return, and the Russian army left."

Lukashenko maintains there are no political prisoners in Belarus, claiming those in jail are simply lawbreakers who chose their fate.

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