IRIA News

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Belarus freed 52 political prisoners on September 11, 2025, in what officials described as the largest mass release in years, after direct mediation from the United States.

Among those freed was veteran dissident Mikalai Statkevich, who had run for president in 2010 and spent more than a decade in detention across two separate sentences. Human rights groups also confirmed the release of Ihar Losik, a journalist sentenced in 2021 to 15 years for allegedly inciting hatred, and 14 foreign nationals from countries including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, and Latvia.

The freed detainees, many of whom had been jailed for opposition activity, journalism, or human rights work, crossed the border into Lithuania with the support of a U.S. delegation. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda hailed the moment as “a day of freedom,” posting on X that the prisoners had left behind “barbed wire, barred windows and constant fear.”

However, not all of those released accepted exile. Statkevich resisted deportation and refused to cross into Lithuania, standing in no-man’s land at the border and insisting he would not allow Lukashenko to force him out. His defiance recalled the 2020 case of opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova, who tore up her passport to avoid expulsion and later received an 11-year sentence.

The U.S. embassy in Vilnius said it could not yet confirm whether internationally recognized opposition figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski were included in the group. Nearly 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, and U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly pressed for the release of at least 1,400 people he has called “hostages.”

No man left behind! 52 prisoners safely crossed the Lithuanian border from Belarus today, leaving behind barbed wire, barred windows and constant fear. Among them, which is especially important to me, were 6 Lithuanians. I am deeply grateful to the United States and personally to… pic.twitter.com/PiYJMVL9VP

— Gitanas Nausėda (@GitanasNauseda) September 11, 2025

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, speaking from exile, warned that the release represented only about 4 percent of those detained for political reasons. “This is a trade in human lives – people who should never have been imprisoned in the first place,” she said.

Sanctions Relief for Belarus

In exchange for the release, Washington agreed to ease sanctions on Belarus’s national airline, Belavia, allowing the state carrier to service and buy parts for its Boeing fleet. Belavia had been targeted by U.S. and European sanctions after Belarus forced down a commercial Ryanair flight in 2021 to arrest opposition journalist Raman Pratasevich. The easing marks the first major U.S. concession toward Minsk in years and underscores Lukashenko’s attempt to end his country’s economic isolation.

Trump envoy John Coale, who led the negotiations, described the deal as a “first step” in broader talks. “Our mission is to get them all out now,” he told Reuters, expressing hope that the remaining political detainees would soon be freed.

Belarusian state news agency quoted Lukashenko as praising Trump’s role and even suggesting the possibility of a “global deal” that could include reopening the U.S. embassy in Minsk. A letter from Trump to Lukashenko, signed simply “Donald,” was described by Coale as “a rare act of personal friendship.”

The opposition has voiced concern that sanctions relief could provide a backdoor for Moscow, whose aviation industry has been heavily restricted by Western measures, to obtain aircraft components through Belavia.

“Lifting sanctions without systemic changes in the country could open loopholes that both the Lukashenko regime and Russia will use,” Tsikhanouskaya warned. Still, Lukashenko called the concession “very important” and said it would “make it easier for us to work.”

The EU also welcomed the prisoner release. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed that an EU staff member was among those freed, thanking U.S. diplomats for their efforts. Yet European leaders echoed caution, stressing that sanctions on Belarus should remain until meaningful democratic reforms are introduced.

Diplomatic Thaw Raises Questions

The exchange highlights a possible thaw between Washington and Minsk, despite Lukashenko’s role as one of Moscow’s closest allies. Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a launchpad for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, though the Belarusian army has not directly entered the conflict.

The release came just a day after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones over its territory, some reportedly launched from Belarus. Against that backdrop, Trump’s decision to reward Lukashenko with sanctions relief marks a calculated diplomatic gamble.

For Lukashenko, the move is part of a broader effort to regain access to Western markets and technology after years of sanctions crippled Belarus’s economy. Over the past year, he has released several prominent detainees, including Tsikhanouskaya’s husband, Siarhei, in an apparent attempt to win concessions from Washington and Brussels. By agreeing to free more prisoners, Lukashenko seeks to present himself as a negotiator capable of balancing ties between Moscow and the West.

For Trump, the deal offers both a foreign policy win and an opening to engage a longtime pariah leader. The U.S. president has described Lukashenko as a “very respected man, strong person, strong leader,” and said he looks forward to meeting him directly. That would mark a dramatic reversal from years of Western isolation of Belarus, especially following the brutal crackdown on mass protests after Lukashenko’s disputed 2020 reelection.

Critics argue that the gesture risks legitimizing an “authoritarian ruler who continues to suppress dissent and jail thousands.” Human rights activists caution that Lukashenko has often used prisoner releases as bargaining chips without altering his policies. As Tsikhanouskaya put it, “We welcome their release, but in essence, this is a trade in human lives.”

With around 1,200 political detainees still imprisoned, the deal appears more like the beginning of a long negotiation than its end. Whether the U.S. gamble will result in further concessions or simply strengthen Lukashenko’s hand remains uncertain.