Overview
- Those freed include opposition figures Maria Kolesnikova, Viktor Babariko and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, according to rights groups and officials.
- Ukrainian authorities said they received 114 civilians bused from Belarus, while several others, including Bialiatski, were taken to Lithuania.
- Belarus linked the move to agreements with President Donald Trump, and U.S. envoy John Coale said Washington would lift sanctions on Belaruskali potash exports.
- Viasna reported some departures were forced “deportations,” and opposition leaders cautioned that hundreds of political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails.
- Germany said it will take in Kolesnikova and Babariko, as European leaders welcomed the releases but noted broader EU sanctions on Minsk remain in place.