Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko freed 123 political prisoners on December 13, including opposition figures such as Maria Kolesnikowa.
123 political prisoners freed
On Saturday, December 13, Belarusian authorities announced a deal with the United States that resulted in the release of 123 political prisoners of the Belarusian regime. The state Belarusian Telegram profile reported that “123 citizens of various countries, convicted of espionage, terrorist activity, and extremist activity, have been pardoned.” The freed prisoners arrived following joint talks with the US special envoy Donald Trump John Coale and Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko.
Notable figures among the freed
Among the released is Polish citizen Maria Kolesnikowa, former aide to former presidential candidate Viktor Babaryk. She had supported Cichanouska Sviatlana’s campaign after Babaryk’s arrest and later led protests after the elections were allegedly rigged. She was sentenced to eleven years for “conspiracy and attempts to overthrow the authorities.” The release also included Aleś Bialacki, Nobel laureate and founder of the Human Rights Defense Center Viasna, as well as Roman Gałusz, a Polish‑national prisoner. Viktor Babaryk himself and his lawyer Maksim Znak were also freed. All released inmates are to be transported to Vilnius.
United States lifts sanctions
Under the Belarus–U.S. agreement, Washington agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potassium. This was announced by regime‑state media citing US special envoy John Coale. The envoy stated that he had discussed Ukraine and Venezuela with Alexander Lukashenko and that the United States aims to normalize relations with Belarus.
