Belarus Frees 25 Prisoners After Trump Envoy Talks, US Lifts Sanctions On 2 Companies

Belarus has released 25 prisoners following talks with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy John Coale, in an interim deal under which Washington will lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies, as the Trump administration continues its diplomatic push to improve ties with Minsk.

Coale announced the releases on Wednesday, a day after meeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. “25 prisoners are free today!” Coale said on X, adding that Trump’s commitment to direct diplomacy was producing results. He said the United States would continue working to secure the release of more people.

The two companies covered by the latest sanctions relief are Lakokraska, a manufacturer of paints and industrial coatings, and Bellesbumprom, a state owned company overseeing Belarus’ forestry, pulp and paper sectors. US sanctions on the companies had been in place since 2008 and 2023 respectively.

Among those released are prominent media figures including journalist Andrei Alyaksandrau, his wife Iryna Zlobina, Liudmila Chekina, the former head of independent media outlet TUT.BY, as well as Dzmitry Navazhylau and Kiryl Pazniak. Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said the released prisoners had reached Lithuania.

Coale described the arrangement as an interim agreement and indicated that more prisoners could be released and further sanctions eased once outstanding issues between Washington and Minsk are resolved. The latest release is smaller than the 250 prisoners freed during Coale’s major March negotiations.

That March agreement saw Washington ease sanctions on two Belarusian state banks and the Finance Ministry, while restrictions on major Belarusian potash producers were also removed. An April arrangement separately resulted in the release of prominent journalist Andrzej Poczobut in a deal involving Poland that freed 10 people.

The latest talks also focused on Belarusian assets frozen in the United States. Coale pledged US support for efforts to unfreeze tens of millions of dollars held by Belarusian entities in American banks, including around $43 million to $44 million reportedly held at Citibank.

The prisoner releases come despite continuing international criticism of Lukashenko’s government. A UN expert report released this week accused Belarusian authorities of systematically using the justice system to suppress critics through arbitrary arrests, closed trials and other measures.

Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for more than three decades and remains a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Western governments have repeatedly sanctioned Minsk over its crackdown on dissent and its support for Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the latest releases, more than 900 political prisoners remain in Belarus, according to Viasna, a human rights organisation banned by the Belarusian authorities. Lukashenko rejects the description of those detained as political prisoners and has defended his government's actions.

Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the latest releases but warned that repression continues. She has argued that the objective should be to empty Belarusian prisons rather than normalise Lukashenko’s government.