Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 political prisoners on Thursday in exchange for easing US sanctions, the US embassy in nearby Lithuania said.
It is reportedly the largest single release of its kind so far as Belarus seeks to normalize ties with the United States. Led by Lukashenko since 1994, the former Soviet state has faced wide sanctions for its human rights crackdown and for allowing Moscow to use its territory to invade Ukraine in 2022.
The move follows a meeting in Minsk between Lukashenko and US special envoy John Coale. Coale described the decision as a “significant humanitarian milestone” and said the United States would lift sanctions on two Belarusian state banks, the finance ministry and major Belarusian potash producers.
Among those freed were journalists, activists and protesters. One is Marfa Rabkova, a coordinator for a Belarusian human rights volunteer network, who was arrested more than five years ago and had been serving a nearly 15-year sentence on “extremism” charges she denies. A US embassy spokesperson said 15 of the released would be taken to Lithuania, while the rest would remain in Belarus.
“Many still behind bars,” says opposition leader
Concern remains for the political prisoners who remain detained. Before Thursday’s release, Belarusian rights group Viasna said more than 1,100 political prisoners were held in the country.
Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the release as “a moment of great relief and hope” and thanked the Trump administration, but added: “Many people are still behind bars. Our goal remains unchanged — to free them all and to put a final end to repression.”
The result of Trump-Lukashenko diplomacy
The announcement is seen as part of Minsk’s effort to improve relations with the West after years of isolation. Previous meetings between Coale and Lukashenko produced the release of dozens of prisoners in September and 123 more in December 2025. Coale told Reuters he expected all remaining political prisoners to be freed before year-end and suggested Lukashenko may soon visit the United States.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko