Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Trump Envoy Secures 25 Belarus Prisoner Releases, Sanctions Eased
The United States and Belarus made a small agreement about prisoners and sanctions.
Belarus agreed to release 25 people.
In return, the United States will remove sanctions from two Belarusian companies.
U.S. envoy John Coale said the deal could lead to more releases.
Some released people were taken to neighboring Lithuania.
Human rights groups say Belarus still holds more than 900 political prisoners.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says these people should not be called political prisoners.
Opposition leaders are happy for those freed but say repression and arrests are continuing.
Belarus agreed to release 25 prisoners as the United States eased sanctions on two companies.
Trump envoy John Coale said the agreement was an interim deal and promised efforts toward further releases.
The released group reportedly includes journalist Andrei Alyaksandrau, Iryna Zlobina and TUT.BY executive Liudmila Chekina.
The United States will remove sanctions on Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom, while European Union sanctions remain in place.
Human rights groups and Belarusian opposition leaders welcomed the releases but said hundreds of political prisoners remain detained.
- Who
- Belarusian authorities, U.S. envoy John Coale, President Alexander Lukashenko and exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya are central to the agreement.
- What
- Belarus agreed to release 25 prisoners while the United States eased sanctions on two Belarusian companies.
- When
- The agreement was announced on Wednesday, September 16, after negotiations that had been underway since last year.
- Where
- The negotiations took place in Minsk, Belarus; Tsikhanouskaya said the 25 released people were brought to Lithuania.
- Why
- The United States is seeking the release of more detainees, while Belarus is receiving sanctions relief and other concessions.
U.S. and Opposition View
Belarusian Government View
Nature of the detainees
U.S. and Opposition View
Human rights groups and the exiled opposition describe the detainees as political prisoners held through repression.
Belarusian Government View
Alexander Lukashenko rejects the description of the detainees as political prisoners.
Impact of the agreement
U.S. and Opposition View
John Coale and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya present the releases as progress, while calling for many more people to be freed.
Belarusian Government View
Belarus accepted the releases in exchange for sanctions relief and has not agreed to end its broader policies described by critics as repression.
Arrests after releases
U.S. and Opposition View
Human rights groups and opposition politicians say Belarus continues arresting people, potentially replacing those who are released.
Belarusian Government View
Lukashenko rejects assertions that Belarus is steadily arresting new people to replace released prisoners.
- Prisoners covered
- 25 people were agreed for release.
- U.S. envoy
- John Coale negotiated the interim agreement for President Donald Trump.
- Companies losing sanctions
- Lakokraska and Bellesbumprom.
- Remaining detainees
- Viasna said Belarus still held more than 900 political prisoners at the start of the week.
- Notable releases
- Journalist Andrei Alyaksandrau, Iryna Zlobina and TUT.BY head Liudmila Chekina were among those named.
- Additional U.S. promise
- Coale said he would seek the return of tens of millions of dollars in frozen Belarusian assets.
- European position
- European Union sanctions against Belarus remain in place.