Belarus to release 25 more prisoners as US eases sanctions

Belarus will release 25 prisoners in exchange for a further easing of US sanctions, an envoy of US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

"We agreed on an interim agreement, and as a show of goodwill, Belarus will release 25 people. In exchange, the United States will lift sanctions on two companies," envoy John Coale told reporters in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

Coale had reportedly requested the release of 250 prisoners during his visit last March. The US special envoy said both sides would work to resolve outstanding issues and secure the release of additional prisoners as well as the removal of further sanctions.

"We will continue to improve relations between the United States and Belarus and are working to secure the release of more people in the near future. We are not done!" he later posted on X.

Hundreds of people remain in prison in Belarus after President Alexander Lukashenko carried out a crackdown on protests against his reelection in 2020. Western countries then slapped sanctions on the country as a result of Lukashenko's repression of opposition.

Accusations against Lukashenko

Human rights organization Viasna, which is banned in Belarus, says the government still holds more than 900 political prisoners. The detainees have been accused of extremism, conspiracy to seize power, incitement of hatred, or insulting the president.

During Tuesday's talks with Coale, Lukashenko denied the existence of political prisoners and rejected Viasna's claims.

The two companies to be removed from the US sanctions list are Lakokraska, a manufacturer of industrial paints and coatings, and Bellesbumprom, a state-owned company that oversees the forestry, pulp, and paper sectors. These sanctions have been in place since 2008 and 2023, respectively.

Coale also announced the release of tens of millions of dollars in frozen Belarusian assets currently held in US banks.