2026-03-19 17:39, updated 2026-03-19 19:26
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2026-03-19 17:39
update
2026-03-19 19:26
250 prisoners were released in Belarus on Thursday, said US President Donald Trump's envoy John Coale after a meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. The Nasza Niwa website published the names of several released political prisoners. The US lifted some of the sanctions against Minsk.
“Today's release of 250 people is an important humanitarian gesture and a testimony to the president's positive attitude towards direct, tough diplomacy. Freedom – this is our goal. We express deep gratitude to our Lithuanian partners for their key role in this mission,” Coale wrote on the X platform.
According to Nasha Niva, those released included Belsat TV journalist Kaciaryna Andreyeva, but journalist and activist of the Union of Poles in Belarus Andrzej Poczobut, who was thrown into a penal colony for eight years, was not among those released.
For his part, Coale – quoted by the Belarusian media – stated that “the US is lifting sanctions against Belinvestbank, Razvicts Bank (Development Bank) and the Ministry of Finance. The US has also decided to lift all sanctions against two Belarusian companies – the Belarusian Potassium Concern and Belaruskali.”
Our Niwa also mentioned among the released political prisoners: Mikita Załataroua, who was sentenced in 2021, when he was 16, to 5 years in a correctional colony for participating in “mass riots”, as well as Siarhiej Mauszuk, sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for participating in protests in Pinsk in the south of the country, and anarchist Pavel Szpietny, sentenced to 6 years for “revolutionary activities”, and then another 2 years.
The US Embassy in Lithuania reported that 235 released people regained freedom in the country, while fifteen were deported from Belarus.
The group of political prisoners released on Thursday is the latest to regain freedom in Belarus in recent months. On March 5, Lukashenko signed a decree pardoning 18 people, including 15 political prisoners, and on February 19, the leading Belarusian oppositionist Mykola Statkevich was released.
With the participation of American diplomats, several groups of political prisoners also regained their freedom last year: in December, 123, including the Nobel Peace Prize winner, human rights defender Ales Byaliatsky, oppositionist Viktar Babaryka, who intended to run in the 2020 presidential elections as Lukashenko's rival, and Maryja Kalesnikava, a member of his staff. In September there were 51 political prisoners and in June 14.
According to the Viasna human rights center, 1,134 political prisoners were still imprisoned in Belarus on Thursday.
Maciej Wewiór, spokesman for the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented on the issue of the release of 250 prisoners in Belarus.
– We welcome the information about the release of such a large group of people from Belarusian prisons and the fact that almost all of them remain in their homeland – a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told PAP.
– This is a step in the right direction. We appreciate the efforts made by the American and Belarusian sides during the talks, Wewiór added.
Latushka: In front of the whole world, Lukashenko is trading people like a commodity
Belarusian oppositionist Pavel Latushka expressed gratitude to the US for its efforts to release 250 political prisoners. At the same time, he pointed out in an interview with PAP that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko “trades people like goods in front of the whole world.”
Latushka, deputy chairman of the Belarusian opposition United Transitional Cabinet (government in exile), expressed gratitude to the American side for its efforts to release 250 political prisoners of the Lukashenko regime.
– On the other hand, we continue to appeal for the Lukashenko regime to stop its repression, because every day we read about new political verdicts in Belarus. And of course, we are still fighting for the release of all political prisoners, including Andrzej Poczobut, an outstanding representative of the Polish minority in Belarus, Łatuszka told PAP.
As he emphasized, “Lukashenko is trading people like a commodity in front of the whole world”, receiving in return the lifting of sanctions from the American side. – Such trade can last for years – emphasized the Belarusian oppositionist.
– In our opinion, the American side still has many instruments to force the dictator to stop his repression and release all political prisoners. And we ask the European Union to use sanctions instruments for systemic changes in Belarus, said Latushka.
He said that a group of 15 released prisoners is already in Lithuania and was welcomed by representatives of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He added that the remaining 235 released prisoners will remain in Belarus, thanks to pressure from the US and the ongoing case against the Lukashenko regime for deporting Belarusians. – But for now we do not have full knowledge of their situation, because there is a totalitarian regime in Belarus and providing true information is difficult, Łatushka pointed out.
When asked whether the US strategy of loosening sanctions against Minsk was correct, Latushka replied that Lukashenko was demanding a “deal” with the US, which would include not only political but also economic elements.
He explained that the Belarusian leader wants international recognition, wants to visit the United States and wants to talk to President Donald Trump. But at the same time – as Latushka noted – the Belarusian economy is sinking into crisis and Lukashenko wants to sell, among others, potassium salt mined in Belarus for USD 3.3 billion.
The deputy chairman of the Belarusian opposition United Transitional Cabinet said that it is very difficult to determine how many people are actually imprisoned in Belarus for political reasons. – Human rights defenders are in prison, human rights defenders are deported, courts are closed and we often find out about the verdicts after half a year or a few months – noted Łatushka.
He added that current estimates indicate about a thousand political prisoners. (PAP)
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