International News
Belarus has released 25 prisoners following negotiations with the United States, with Washington agreeing to lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies.
Belarus released 25 political prisoners on September 16 following an interim agreement negotiated by US special envoy John Coale. Under the deal, the United States agreed to lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies, Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom.
Those released included journalists, human rights campaigners, political activists, lawyers and media managers. Several of the freed prisoners were taken to Lithuania after their release.
The agreement is part of broader US efforts to secure the release of political detainees in Belarus and improve relations with President Alexander Lukashenko's government. Coale said he hopes to return to Belarus within about a month and negotiate the release of hundreds more prisoners.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the release but stressed that hundreds of political prisoners remain detained. Rights groups have continued to document arrests and repression in Belarus.
The latest release follows several previous US-mediated prisoner deals, with hundreds of detainees freed since 2025 in exchange for steps toward easing US sanctions on Belarus.
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