Belarusian political prisoners with John Cole / x.com/johnpcoale
On March 19, 2026, 250 political prisoners were released in Belarus as part of a deal brokered by the United States. 235 people remained in Belarus, while 15 were transferred to Lithuania.
The release came after negotiations between US President's special envoy John Cole and Alexander Lukashenko. In total, more than 500 Belarusian political prisoners have been freed thanks to US efforts. However, at least 1,000 hostages remain behind bars, and politically motivated repression and detentions continue.
Among those pictured are Katsiaryna Andreyeva, Marfa Rabkova, Nasta Loika, Valentin Stefanovich, Eduard Palchys, Mikita Zalatarau, and Kim Samusenka.
The United States is lifting sanctions on Belinvestbank, the Development Bank of Belarus, and the Ministry of Finance. Belarusian Potash Company and Belaruskali have also been removed from all sanctions lists.
This most likely involves the issuance of a general license by the US Treasury Department — which in practice amounts to an exemption from sanctions that may be either permanent or temporary.
translated via ClaudeAI
To follow important news, subscribe to the Euroradio channel on Telegram.
Every day we publish videos about life in Belarus on our YouTube channel. You can subscribe here