Belarus frees 25 political prisoners after US deal

Belarus freed 25 political prisoners Wednesday as the United States lifts sanctions on two Belarusian companies, US envoy John Coale said after his latest visit to Minsk.

“Twenty-five prisoners are free today!” Coale said on social media, posting an image with the group.

Among those freed were several journalists, including Lyudmila Chekina, the former head of the now closed Belarusian news website Tut.by. Reporters Andrei Alexandrov and Irina Zlobina, who were also among the group, married while imprisoned. Activist Yana Pinchuk was also released; she had been arrested in Russia in 2021 and deported to Belarus at the request of Belarus's KGB security service despite a UN human rights committee call for Moscow not to do so.

Coale earlier said Washington would remove sanctions on two Belarusian companies “in exchange”. The companies were named as paint manufacturer Lakokraska and forestry group Bellesbumprom.

Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya thanked the United States for what she called “difficult negotiations” and said she hoped for more releases.

Hundreds remain in prison in Belarus after President Alexander Lukashenko suppressed mass protests against his disputed 2020 re-election. The independent Viasna rights group, which monitors arrests in Belarus, says there are currently almost 900 political prisoners in the country.

Rights groups and activists warn that Belarus is releasing some prisoners while also imprisoning others. Last week, a court jailed lawyer Dmitry Layevsky for three years. He had remained in Belarus and represented opposition figure Viktor Babaryko, who was freed last year while his son remains in prison.

Western countries imposed sanctions on Belarus over repression in 2020 and added more restrictions in 2022 after Minsk allowed Moscow to invade Ukraine through Belarusian territory. Washington has reopened dialogue with Minsk and eased some sanctions, with Coale's visits leading to several prisoner releases since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.