Belarus– In a significant development, Belarus has released 52 political prisoners following mediation efforts by the United States.
The release comes as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to mend ties with the West, hoping to ease sanctions and international isolation.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda confirmed that the prisoners, along with a US delegation, had safely crossed into Lithuania.
The prisoners were released after US President Donald Trump called on Lukashenko to release detainees he described as “hostages”.
In return for Lukashenko’s gesture, Washington will grant sanctions relief to Belarus’s national airline Belavia, allowing it to service and buy components for its fleet.
This move is seen as a positive step in the relations between the two countries, with Trump planning to meet Lukashenko, whom he described as a “very respected man, strong person, strong leader”.
The release of the 52 prisoners is the largest batch pardoned by Lukashenko, who has led Belarus through more than three decades of authoritarian rule.
However, it falls short of the 1,300 or 1,400 prisoners whose release Trump had called for. Among those released are prominent figures, including Belarusian veteran dissident Mikola Statkevich, who was sentenced to 14 years following protests after the contested presidential elections of 2020.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the exiled Belarus opposition, welcomed the release but emphasized that it did not signal a real change of policy by Lukashenko.
“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,” she said, urging the European Union to maintain sanctions on Belarus until democracy is established.
US envoy John Coale, involved in negotiations with Lukashenko, expressed hope for the release of all 1,400 Belarusian prisoners Trump described as “hostages”.
“Our mission is to get them all out now,” Coale said. “Eventually, hopefully within a short period of time everybody will be out.”
The US delegation, led by Coale, passed a letter from Trump to Lukashenko, signed “Donald”, which was seen as a rare act of personal friendship.
Lukashenko praised Trump for seeking a peace deal in Ukraine and expressed willingness to work with him.
“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,” Lukashenko said.
The prisoners were released a day after Poland shot down Russian drones over its territory, and on the eve of joint military exercises involving Russia and Belarus.
The release has been met with a mixed reaction from the international community. EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that an EU staff member was among the released prisoners, thanking “US partners for their efforts”.
However, human rights groups have emphasized the need for further action to address the human rights situation in Belarus.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the release of the 52 prisoners is a significant step in the relations between Belarus and the West.
However, the future of these relations remains uncertain, with many calling for further progress on human rights and democracy in Belarus.
The release has been met with a mixed reaction from the international community. EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that an EU staff member was among the released prisoners, thanking “US partners for their efforts”.
However, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the exiled Belarus opposition, urged the European Union to maintain sanctions on Belarus until democracy is established.
She emphasized that the release covered only about 4% of those designated as political prisoners and did not signal any real change of policy by Lukashenko.
US envoy John Coale expressed hope for the release of all 1,400 Belarusian prisoners Trump described as “hostages”.
“Our mission is to get them all out now,” Coale said. “Eventually, hopefully within a short period of time everybody will be out.”
The prisoners were released a day after Poland shot down Russian drones over its territory and on the eve of joint military exercises involving Russia and Belarus.