Lukashenko frees 25 prisoners as US eases sanctions on Belarus
Prisoners have been freed by Belarus as part of lengthy negotiations in which Washington is urging leader Lukashenko to free hundreds of people in exchange for sanctions relief and an easing of his international isolation.
Moscow (dpa) - Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has released 25 prisoners in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions on two Belarusian companies, US negotiator John Coale announced on Wednesday following talks in Minsk.
"25 prisoners are free today! President Trump's commitment to direct diplomacy delivers results," Coale wrote on X. He thanked Lukashenko for the releases.
"We will continue to improve US-Belarus relations and are working to secure the release of more people in the very near future. We are not finished!" Coale added.
In an appearance broadcast on Belarusian state television, Coale said the United States would lift sanctions on two companies.
The companies concerned are Bellesbumprom, a wood-processing company that also produces paper, and Lakokraska, the country's largest manufacturer of varnishes, paints and anti-corrosion coatings.
EU sanctions against Belarus remain in place.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the US for its humanitarian efforts.
"Every person released is a victory," she wrote on Telegram. The work must continue until all political prisoners are free, she said.
The opposition in exile would help those who have left the country rebuild normal lives abroad after years in prison, she said. Her husband, Sergei Tsikhanouski, was also freed during an earlier prisoner-release initiative.
Coale has repeatedly helped secure the release of political prisoners, including prominent politicians in recent months.
President Donald Trump also thanked Lukashenko. In return, the United States had previously lifted sanctions against Belaruskali, an internationally important fertilizer producer.
Human rights activists in Belarus estimate that as many as 1,400 political prisoners are being held in the country. Lukashenko is Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally. In 2022, he allowed Belarus to be used as a staging ground for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.