Photo by the media. In Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko released another 250 political prisoners
According to official data, 235 of those released remain in Belarus, while the others have gone abroad.
Western sources claim that this release is a result of negotiations in which Lukashenko seeks to improve relations with Washington and achieve the lifting of sanctions in response to a reduction in repression.
The announcement of the new wave of releases was made following meetings in Minsk between Lukashenko and U.S. Special Representative John Cole.
It is worth noting that in December 2025, 123 political prisoners were also released, including well-known opponents of Lukashenko, such as Maria Kolesnikova and Viktor Babariko.
In response to the recent release of the new group of prisoners, Washington agreed to ease restrictive measures on the financial sector of Belarus. In particular, sanctions were lifted from Belinvestbank, the Development Bank, and the Ministry of Finance of the republic, and all restrictions on the potash companies "Belaruskali," the Belarusian Potash Company, and "Agrorozkwit" were completely removed.
