Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of 250 people jailed for their politics on Thursday, the US embassy in nearby Lithuania said, a step taken in return for the United States easing some sanctions. Officials described it as the largest single release of political detainees so far as Minsk moves to mend ties with Washington.
Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, and his government have long been subject to broad international sanctions over a rights crackdown at home and for allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The latest release follows talks in Minsk between Lukashenko and US special envoy John Coale.
Coale called the decision 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 as part of the arrangement. The freed group includes journalists, activists and protesters.
Among those released was 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 detainees would be taken to Lithuania, while the remainder would stay in Belarus.
Rights groups and opposition figures warned the release was only a partial step. Before Thursday’s move, Belarusian group Viasna had reported more than 1,100 people classified as political prisoners in the country. Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya described the freed detainees as a source of “great relief and hope,” thanked the Trump administration for its role, but stressed that “many people are still behind bars” and that the goal remains to free all political prisoners and end repression.
Observers view the deal as part of Minsk’s bid to break out of international isolation and restore relations with the West. Previous meetings between Coale and Lukashenko produced earlier releases — dozens in September and 123 in December 2025. Coale told Reuters he expected all remaining political prisoners to be freed before the end of the year and suggested Lukashenko could visit the United States in the near future.