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Belarus Frees 123 Detainees, Including Nobel Laureate, After U.S. Lifts Potash Sanctions

Rights groups say hundreds remain imprisoned despite the deal.

Overview

  • The released group includes Ales Bialiatski and Maria Kolesnikova, with former presidential hopeful Viktor Babariko among other prominent figures.
  • U.S. envoy John Coale announced the lifting of American sanctions on Belarusian potash during his visit to Minsk.
  • Belarusian authorities portrayed the pardons as stemming from agreements with President Trump, according to a pro-presidential Telegram channel.
  • Ukrainian officials said 114 of those freed were transferred to Ukraine, while others arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, with Kyiv assisting the operation.
  • Viasna reported that about 1,203 political prisoners remain in Belarus, even after the mass release.