Belarus Releases 123 Political Prisoners Including Nobel Winner in US-Brokered Deal

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has freed 123 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, following a deal brokered by an envoy of US President Donald Trump that involved easing sanctions on Belarusian potash exports.

The mass release marks the largest such move by the Belarusian government since Washington initiated diplomatic engagement with Lukashenko earlier this year. In return for the prisoner release, the United States agreed to lift sanctions on potash, a key fertiliser component and one of Belarus’s most important exports.

Among those freed were prominent opposition figures, including Maria Kalesnikava, who played a central role in the mass protests that erupted after Belarus’s disputed 2020 presidential election. Officials said nine of the released prisoners travelled to Lithuania, while 114 were transferred to Ukraine.

Ales Bialiatski, co-recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the human rights group Viasna, had been jailed since July 2021. Speaking after his release, he said the broader struggle for human rights in Belarus was far from over, noting that many activists and opposition supporters remain behind bars.

US envoy John Coale said discussions were ongoing to secure the release of the remaining political prisoners, estimated by rights groups to number more than 1,000. He indicated that further easing of sanctions could follow if substantial progress is made.

The move reflects a shift in US diplomatic strategy aimed at engaging Minsk to reduce Belarus’s dependence on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Western governments had largely isolated Lukashenko over his suppression of dissent and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Belarusian opposition leaders welcomed the releases but cautioned against a broader rollback of European Union sanctions, arguing that pressure remains essential to achieving democratic reforms and accountability. Rights group Viasna said more than 1,200 political prisoners remained jailed prior to Saturday’s release.

Lukashenko has consistently denied the existence of political prisoners, describing detainees as criminals. Despite the breakthrough, rights organisations stress that sustained international pressure will be critical to securing further releases.