Belarus freed 250 political prisoners on Thursday, March 19, following negotiations with the United States, while Washington agreed to remove sanctions on several Belarusian companies in return, a U.S. official said. The prisoner release, the largest in years, came hours after U.S. envoy John Coale met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
The authoritarian state in Eastern Europe has released dozens of prisoners in recent months, largely due to US efforts.
Among those released on Thursday were human rights activists Valentin Stefanovich, Marfa Rabkova, and Anastasiya Loika, Belarusian rights group Viasna reported.
Belarus still holds hundreds of political prisoners in its jails, many of whom were arrested after a disputed 2020 election that triggered widespread protest.
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Belarus Frees 250 Political Prisoners in U.S.-Brokered Deal
03/20/2026
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