IRIA News

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The Belarusian government freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and prominent opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, following negotiations with an envoy of U.S. President Donald Trump on December 13, 2025.

The releases mark the largest single prisoner transfer since Washington opened talks this year with the Belarusian leader, who has long been isolated by Western governments over human rights abuses and his support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The agreement involved the United States lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash, a key export and major source of state revenue. Potash is a core ingredient in fertilizers, and Belarus is one of the world’s leading producers. U.S. officials described the deal as part of a broader diplomatic effort that could lead to further releases in the coming months.

Largest Prisoner Release

Officials said nine of the released prisoners were transported to Lithuania, while 114 were taken to Ukraine. The releases followed two days of talks involving Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, and came amid a broader recalibration of U.S. policy toward Minsk.

Coale said the release of political prisoners could continue if momentum is maintained. “I think it’s more than possible that we can do that, I think it’s probable. We are on the right track, the momentum is there,” he said. Coale added that if no political prisoners remained in Belarus, most sanctions could be removed, calling the approach “a fair trade.”

Belarusian human rights group Viasna said that 1,227 political prisoners remained in jail on the eve of the releases.

Bialiatski Emerges After Years in Prison

Ales Bialiatski, co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, had been imprisoned since July 2021. A veteran human rights campaigner, he spent years advocating for political detainees before becoming one himself. He arrived in Vilnius on Saturday and was greeted at the U.S. embassy by exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Bialiatski said he was still processing his release. He told reporters he had spent the previous night on a prison bunk in a crowded cell and was adjusting to the idea of freedom. Despite his release, he said the broader struggle that earned him the Nobel Prize was far from over.

“Thousands of people have been and continue to be imprisoned. So, our struggle continues,” he said. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it felt “profound relief and heartfelt joy” at his release.

Kalesnikava and Other Opposition Figures Freed

Maria Kalesnikava, a central figure in the mass protests that followed Belarus’s disputed 2020 election, was among those transferred by bus to Ukraine. She had been imprisoned since 2020, much of the time in isolation, and her health had been a source of concern for supporters and family members.

Speaking in a video published by a Ukrainian Telegram channel, Kalesnikava described the moment of release. “Of course, it’s a feeling of incredible happiness first of all: to see with your eyes the people who are dear to you, to hug them, and understand that now we are all free people. It’s a great joy to see my first free sunset,” she said.

The video showed her embracing Viktar Babaryka, another opposition politician arrested in 2020 while preparing to challenge Lukashenko in the presidential election. Babaryka said his son Eduard remained in prison.

Tatsiana Khomich, Kalesnikava’s sister, said she had feared her sibling might refuse to leave Belarus. “I very much look forward to hugging Maria… the last five years were very hard for us, but now I talked to her (by phone), and I feel as if the five years did not happen,” she said.

Sanctions and US Strategy

Under the deal, Washington agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash exports. Coale said the move was made “as per the instructions of President Trump,” and suggested that additional sanctions relief could follow if further releases occur.

The United States and the European Union imposed sweeping sanctions on Belarus after the violent crackdown on protests that erupted following the 2020 election. Sanctions were expanded in 2022 after Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. officials have said engagement with Lukashenko is aimed in part at reducing his dependence on Russian President Vladimir Putin. The approach has been met with skepticism by the Belarusian opposition, which has warned against normalizing relations without meaningful political change.

Opposition Reaction and Diverging Western Approaches

Exiled opposition figures welcomed the releases and thanked the Trump administration for its role, while stressing that pressure must continue. Tsikhanouskaya said the deal demonstrated the effectiveness of sanctions when used strategically.

“U.S. sanctions are about people. EU sanctions are about systemic change, stopping the war, enabling democratic transition, and ensuring accountability. These approaches do not contradict each other; they complement each other,” she said.

Opposition leaders have repeatedly argued that Lukashenko responds only to leverage, not goodwill. Tsikhanouskaya said sanctions remain “leverage to make dictators do something,” adding that releases come at a price negotiated by the regime.

Lukashenko’s Position and Past Denials

Lukashenko has long denied the existence of political prisoners in Belarus, describing detainees as “bandits” and enemies of the state. As recently as August, he questioned why he should free people he said might “again wage war against us.”

Trump, by contrast, has referred to Lukashenko as “the highly respected president of Belarus,” language that has angered opposition figures who view him as a dictator. Trump has urged Lukashenko to free as many as 1,300 or 1,400 detainees, describing them as “hostages.”

The U.S. embassy in Lithuania said Washington would continue diplomatic efforts to secure the release of remaining prisoners. “The United States stands ready for additional engagement with Belarus that advances U.S. interests and will continue to pursue diplomatic efforts to free remaining political prisoners in Belarus,” it said.

Uncertain Path Ahead

While the releases mark a significant moment for Belarusian civil society and families of detainees, the future remains uncertain. Hundreds of opposition figures remain imprisoned, and European governments have not indicated any immediate plans to ease their own sanctions.

For Lukashenko, the deal offers a partial exit from international isolation and a potential opening with Washington. For the opposition, it is a reminder that sustained pressure can yield results, even as the broader fight for political change in Belarus continues.