Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, following an agreement with the United States to ease sanctions on the country’s potash exports.
The move comes as President Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko seeks to improve ties with Washington. In exchange for sanctions relief, Minsk pardoned the prisoners, the Belarusian state news agency Belta reported. The U.S. announced on Saturday the lifting of restrictions on Belarusian potash, a key fertiliser export.
John Coale, U.S. special envoy for Belarus, described the two-day talks in Minsk as “very productive,” saying that normalising relations was “our goal.” Coale added that discussions included regular dialogue, prisoner releases, and moving the relationship from “baby steps to more confident steps.”
Among the released prisoners is Ales Bialiatski, a leading human rights advocate and founder of the Viasna Human Rights Centre, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 while imprisoned. Convicted in 2023 on charges of tax evasion and financing actions deemed to violate public order, widely seen as politically motivated, he had been serving a 10-year sentence in a penal colony in Gorki, known for harsh conditions. Bialiatski’s health reportedly deteriorated in custody, with multiple chronic illnesses, prompting calls from a UN human rights panel for his release.
Maria Kolesnikova, 43, a professional flutist and a leading figure in Belarus’s 2020 pro-democracy protests, had been imprisoned since 2020. She became a symbol of resistance after authorities tried to deport her to Ukraine, but she tore up her passport at the border and returned to Belarus. Convicted of conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 11 years, Kolesnikova reportedly fell seriously ill in prison and required surgery.
After their release, both Ales Bialiatski and Kolesnikova spoke with family members via video call. Kolesnikova’s sister, Tatiana Khomich, confirmed that she was in good health and expressed relief at seeing her freed. Several of the released prisoners are expected to travel to Vilnius, Lithuania, where crowds have gathered outside the U.S. embassy.
The release continues a broader pattern of Belarus easing political pressures in exchange for diplomatic concessions. Since July 2024, the country has freed more than 430 political prisoners, often coinciding with announcements of eased U.S. sanctions.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, opposition leader in exile and an ally of Kolesnikova, welcomed the release but cautioned against seeing it as a fundamental shift. “Lukashenko hasn’t changed his policies, his crackdown continues, and he continues supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine,” she told the AP. She added that while U.S. sanctions relief could lead to prisoner releases, European sanctions must aim for systemic changes in Belarus and an end to Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.
John Coale, the U.S. special envoy for Belarus, confirmed that discussions also covered broader regional issues, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Venezuela. He said Lukashenko had offered “good advice” regarding Ukraine and highlighted the longstanding relationship between the Belarusian and Russian presidents as facilitating dialogue, though noting that the advice may or may not be accepted by President Vladimir Putin.
The Israeli military said Raed Saed, described as one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, was killed on Saturday when a vehicl...
Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, following an agreeme...
Migration isn’t driven only by politics or social issues. In the era of climate change, the environment itself is becoming a reason to leave home....
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladi...
Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian were killed after an ISIS gunman attacked a joint U.S.-Syrian patrol in central Syria, according to U.S. Central Comm...
The Israeli military said Raed Saed, described as one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, was killed on Saturday when a vehicle was hit in Gaza City.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian were killed after an ISIS gunman attacked a joint U.S.-Syrian patrol in central Syria, according to U.S. Central Command and Pentagon officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday responded to the release of new photographs from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said he had not seen the photos but downplayed their significance, stating that the images were “no big deal.”
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Migration isn’t driven only by politics or social issues. In the era of climate change, the environment itself is becoming a reason to leave home.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Two U.S. soldiers and a civilian were killed after an ISIS gunman attacked a joint U.S.-Syrian patrol in central Syria, according to U.S. Central Command and Pentagon officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday responded to the release of new photographs from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. Trump said he had not seen the photos but downplayed their significance, stating that the images were “no big deal.”
Ukrainian emergency services extinguished a fire on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel after a Russian attack that damaged three Turkish-owned ships in southern Ukrainian ports
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment