Belarus has released more than 120 political detainees, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, following a negotiated agreement with the United States that eases restrictions on one of the country’s most important export industries. The development marks one of the largest prisoner releases in years and signals a rare diplomatic opening between Minsk and Western governments.
According to officials and human rights advocates, a total of 123 prisoners were freed over the weekend. Many of those released were opposition activists, journalists, and civil society figures who had been jailed after protesting President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule. Shortly after their release, groups of former detainees were transported out of Belarus to neighboring Lithuania and Ukraine.
A Symbolic Freedom
Among the most prominent figures freed was Ales Bialiatski, founder of the Belarusian human rights organization Viasna and a recipient of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Bialiatski had been serving a lengthy sentence on charges that international observers described as politically motivated.
Speaking after arriving in Vilnius, Bialiatski described the sudden nature of his release, recalling being awakened before dawn and transported under heavy security. He said the moment he crossed the border was overwhelming, comparing it to “coming back up for air after being held underwater.”
Bialiatski was reunited with his wife after years of separation and appeared in public still wearing his prison-issued jacket, a visible reminder of his time behind bars.
Life Behind Bars
The Nobel laureate also spoke openly about conditions inside Belarus’s penal system. While he said international attention may have shielded him from physical violence, he described a system designed to degrade and isolate inmates. He cited frequent stints in solitary confinement, arbitrary disciplinary measures, and limited access to correspondence or medical care.
Other former prisoners echoed similar accounts through relatives and advocacy groups, highlighting longstanding concerns raised by international watchdogs.
Opposition Figures Among the Released
The mass release included several well-known opposition leaders. Maria Kolesnikova, a key figure in the protests that followed Belarus’s disputed 2020 election, was among those freed. Images of former detainees embracing one another after crossing into safety quickly spread online, drawing emotional reactions from supporters abroad.
Viktor Babaryka, once seen as a major political challenger to Lukashenko before his arrest, was also reported to be among those released.
Supporters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius to welcome the arrivals, braving cold temperatures while waving historic opposition flags and chanting messages of solidarity.
Diplomatic Trade-Offs
The release followed months of quiet negotiations led by U.S. officials. As part of the agreement, Washington agreed to lift certain sanctions affecting Belarus’s potash industry, a major source of state revenue. European Union sanctions remain unchanged.
Most of the freed Belarusian citizens were transported through Ukraine, while a smaller group – including Bialiatski and several foreign nationals – arrived directly in Lithuania. Opposition figures suggested the complex logistics reflected Minsk’s continued efforts to control the narrative surrounding the release.
Broader Political Context
The prisoner exchange comes amid broader geopolitical maneuvering in Eastern Europe, as the United States and its allies explore diplomatic options related to the war in Ukraine. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has faced years of international isolation over its human rights record and its role in regional security tensions.
Despite welcoming the releases, opposition leaders emphasized that hundreds of political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails. Speaking to supporters, Bialiatski urged the international community not to lose focus.
“Freedom must be for everyone,” he said. “The work continues until every political prisoner is released.”
While the deal represents a rare breakthrough, analysts caution that it reflects pragmatic bargaining rather than a fundamental shift in Belarus’s political system. For families reunited after years apart, however, the moment marked a long-awaited return to hope.
