Trump's envoy meets Lukashenko for new talks on Belarus prisoner releases
Viasna says Belarus still holds 912 political prisoners as Coale seeks more releases in exchange for sanctions relief.
- On Tuesday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale in Tallinn, Estonia, to seek the lifting of remaining U.S. sanctions against his country.
- Washington previously helped broker a March deal where Lukashenko released 250 political prisoners, lifting sanctions on two state banks, the Finance Ministry, and potash producers.
- Despite these negotiations, Viasna reports Belarus still holds 912 political prisoners, including 20 journalists, as lawyer Pavel Sapelka described a 'revolving door' policy of constant new arrests.
- Belarusian opposition leader-in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and Coale for prioritizing political prisoners, though she emphasized 'repression continues' and urged Washington to focus on emptying prisons.
- Analyst Valery Karbalevich suggests U.S. contacts allow Lukashenko to reduce dependence on the Kremlin, even as he claimed, 'There is no need for us to persecute anyone for political reasons today.
105 Articles
105 Articles
Belarus agreed to release 25 prisoners in exchange for a new relaxation of sanctions imposed by the United States, announced Wednesday John Coale, President Donald Trump's emissary. The interim agreement is part of the negotiations that...
This happened after the negotiations of the American delegation led by US Special Envoy John Cole with the Belarusian authorities.
US Lifts Sanctions on Two Belarusian Companies in Exchange for 25 Prisoners
The United States will lift sanctions on two major Belarusian state-owned enterprises in exchange for the release of 25 individuals by Minsk, Belarusian state news outlets and US Special Envoy to Belarus John Coale reported on September 16.
<p>Belarus released 25 political prisoners in exchange for easing US sanctions During a visit to Minsk, John Cole announced the release of 25 Belarusian political prisoners. The United States will lift sanctions against the two companies.</p>
The United States has reached an agreement with Belarus, in which several prisoners will be released while sanctions against Belarus will be eased.
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