Minsk frees 123 prisoners including Nobel Peace Prize winner Bialiatski and opponent Kolesnikova
Belarus released 123 prisoners, including prominent opponents, as part of an agreement with the US to lift sanctions on the potash industry to improve relations with Washington
The Belarusian authorities have released 123 prisoners, including theNobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova. This was confirmed to AP by Pavel Sapelka, a human rights activist from the human rights organisation Viasna.
Their release comes as authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to improve relations with Washington.
This morning, the United States announced the lifting of sanctions on the country's potash sector.
In return for the lifting of sanctions, Lukashenko pardoned 123 prisoners, according to the state-run Belta news agency.
"Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has pardoned 123 foreign nationals as part of agreements reached with US President Donald Trump and at his request," the Belarusian leader's press office told state news agency Belta.
The communiqué
"In accordance with the agreements reached with U.S. President Donald Trump and at his request,in connection with the lifting of illegal sanctions against the Belarusian potash industry imposed by the administration of former U.S. President Biden and in connection with the practical implementation of the process of lifting other illegal sanctions against the Republic of Belarus, the head of state has decided to pardon 123 citizens of various countries convicted under the laws of the Republic of Belarus for various crimes, including espionage, terrorism and extremist activities," it is pointed out.
