Belarus Releases 123 Prisoners Following US Sanctions Relief

Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova and Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, after the US agreed to lift sanctions on potash exports. Most prisoners were handed over to Ukraine before being transported to Poland and Lithuania. The deal marks a diplomatic win for President Alexander Lukashenko, signaling a thaw in Belarus–US relations despite his continued lack of recognition by the EU.

Belarus has released 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, following an agreement in which the United States lifted sanctions on the country. Among those freed is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, who was also released after discussions in Minsk with John Coale, the US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus.

The US has agreed to lift sanctions on potash, a crucial component in fertilizer and one of Belarus’ major exports. The move comes as Belarus, a close ally of Russia, seeks to normalize its relations with Washington. Coale stated, "As relations between the two countries normalise, more and more sanctions will be lifted." Despite the agreement, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is not recognized as the legitimate president by the European Union.

Kolesnikova, who has been imprisoned since 2020, spent much of her detention in isolation. Her sister, Tatiana Khomich, who campaigned tirelessly for her release, spoke to her via video call soon after her liberation and confirmed the news to the BBC. "She is free, she looks fine, she looks good," Khomich said, adding that she looked forward to embracing her sister.

Kolesnikova, along with 113 other prisoners, was handed over to Ukraine, according to Kyiv's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. In a statement on Telegram, Ukrainian authorities said that after receiving necessary medical care, the prisoners will be transported to Poland and Lithuania. A spokesperson for exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told Agence France-Presse that the decision to transfer the prisoners to Ukraine was unexpected and was made by Lukashenko.

Khomich revealed that the first thing Kolesnikova said during their call was, "thank you to the US administration, President Trump [and] to the Belarus government as well for leading and talking and having these negotiations."

The agreement represents a significant diplomatic achievement for Lukashenko, allowing him to regain some international legitimacy and end aspects of Belarus’ isolation. Following unfair elections five years ago that triggered mass protests violently suppressed by the police, both the US and the EU had refused to recognize Lukashenko as president. Hundreds of people, including Kolesnikova, were arrested during that period, and the country has continued to experience intense political repression.