Lukashenko frees 250 Belarusian prisoners as US removes more sanctions

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 250 prisoners on Thursday - the biggest batch to be released so far - in return for a further easing of U.S. sanctions, the U.S. embassy in neighbouring Lithuania said.

The releases were part of a bargaining process in which Lukashenko is seeking a normalisation of ties with Washington after years of isolation and sanctions, in exchange for easing repression in the former Soviet state he has led since 1994.

Belarusian human rights group Viasna said before Thursday's announcement there were more than 1,100 political prisoners in the country.

One of those to be freed was Marfa Rabkova, the coordinator of Viasna's volunteer network, who was arrested in September 2020 and was serving a sentence of 14 years and nine months for "extremism" and other charges that she denied. Supporters say she has suffered serious health problems while in prison.

Bloggers, rights activists, journalists and protesters were also among those released from prison after talks in the Belarusian capital Minsk between Lukashenko and John Coale, an envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump.

SANCTIONS EASED, POSSIBLE U.S. VISIT

Lukashenko is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, although without sending Belarusian troops to fight there.

"Today’s release of 250 individuals is a significant humanitarian milestone and a testament to the President’s commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy," Coale posted on X.

The U.S. side said it had agreed to drop sanctions on two Belarusian banks and the country's finance ministry, but had made clear to Lukashenko that this relief could not be abused to facilitate other forms of sanctions evasion or support Russia's war effort in Ukraine.

Coale said Lukashenko may soon visit the United States, a trip that would signal a breakthrough for the veteran authoritarian leader as he seeks to mend fences with the West after years of being treated as a pariah because of human rights abuses and his backing for Putin in the war.

The U.S. has made clear it sees value in cultivating him, given his close ties with Putin, and says he has offered good advice as the U.S. seeks to end the four-year conflict.

BIGGEST BATCH OF RELEASES YET

Previous talks between Coale and Lukashenko resulted in the release of dozens of political prisoners last September and a further 123 in December, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition politicians Maria Kalesnikava and Viktar Babaryka.

The U.S. responded then by removing sanctions on Belarusian potash - an ingredient in fertilisers and a major source of export revenue for the country of 9 million people, which shares borders with Russia, Ukraine and three NATO members.

Rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovic, who stood trial alongside Bialiatski, was among those freed on Thursday. Also released was Mikalai Kuliashou, a customs officer who had helped people cross the border into Lithuania in order to avoid arrest.

A U.S. embassy spokesperson said 15 of those freed were being taken to Lithuania, and the rest were staying in Belarus.

Many of those released in previous waves have been forced to leave the country immediately in what amounted to forced expulsions.

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court said on March 12 they were investigating these deportations as possible crimes against humanity.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called the latest releases "a moment of great relief and hope", expressing gratitude to Trump and Coale.

"But we must be clear: many people are still behind bars," she said in a statement.

"Our goal remains unchanged — to free them all and to put a final end to repression, so that every Belarusian can live freely in their own country."