Fifty-two inmates, including a long-standing dissident and journalists, have been released from Belarusian prisons.
The United States has welcomed the continued release of political prisoners in Belarus following President Trump's engagement. This development comes after the release of 52 political prisoners, including EU staff members, journalists, and dissidents.
The released political prisoners crossed the border into EU member Lithuania, with images showing the men being released sitting on a bus at the border, their heads recently shaven. Among those freed was Mikola Statkevich, a veteran dissident who stood against Lukashenko in a 2010 presidential contest, who had been in jail for five years. Also freed was a staff member with the EU's delegation in Minsk and nine journalists and bloggers, including a reporter for US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
More than a dozen people with foreign citizenship were among those released, including Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, German, French, and British citizens. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expressed gratitude for Washington and President Donald Trump's involvement in the release.
Brussels has also welcomed the release of its employee. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen stated that 'our work to free all political prisoners continues.' John Coale, a Trump official, was in Minsk and handed Lukashenko a personal letter from Trump, including birthday wishes.
The White House announced a 'limited relief package' that would allow Belarus' state airline, Belavia, to 'service and buy components for its existing fleet, which includes Boeing aircraft.' This move is seen as an attempt to encourage closer ties with President Donald Trump.
The Baltic state has become a haven for Belarusians that have fled the country since 2020. Tens of thousands of Belarusians protested a sham presidential election in 2020, resulting in many detentions and prosecutions on politically motivated charges. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the exiled opposition leader, met those freed at the US Embassy in Vilnius and stated that over 1,200 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus.
However, Mikalaj Statkewitsch, another released dissident, was refused to cross the border into Lithuania by masked men who escorted him back to Belarus after he sat for hours in the no-man's land between the Belarusian and Lithuanian borders following his release.
This release marks a significant step towards democracy in Belarus, but the fight for freedom continues as more than 1,000 political prisoners are still behind bars.
