US EditionBelarus forcibly deported political prisoners after U.S. deal, opposition says
Belarus deported 52 political prisoners to Lithuania after a U.S.-brokered deal that lifted some sanctions; over 1,100 political detainees remain imprisoned, human rights advocates say.
- On 11 September 2025, Belarus forcibly released and deported 52 political prisoners, including anarchist Nikolai Dziadok, from Minsk to Lithuania following US-brokered talks.
- The releases occurred after negotiations between Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko and US envoy John Coale, amid ongoing US efforts to ease sanctions and mediate the Ukraine conflict.
- Many freed prisoners accused Belarusian authorities of torture, medical neglect, and isolation before exile, while some, like Mikola Statkevich, refused to leave Belarus and tried to return but were blocked at the border.
- More than 1,300 political prisoners remain jailed in Belarus today, with opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya stating the release covers only 4% of detainees and calling for Western demands to keep prisoners in their home country.
- The event suggests a tentative détente between Washington and Minsk, as the US lifts sanctions on Belarus's national airline and signals possible further engagement despite Belarus’s close ties with Russia and continued human rights abuses.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Freed Belarus prisoners: Opposition leader refuses forced exile
The 52 prisoners freed last Thursday in a US-brokered deal with Belarus were sent to Vilnius, Lithuania. Among those freed was Mikalai Statkevich, a prominent opposition leader who refused to leave Belarus and is now missing.
Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya criticized Minsk after it forcibly deported dozens of political prisoners from the country to Lithuania, who were released from prison after US intervention.
Anarchist prisoner released from Belarus
The regime deported 52 political prisoners in exchange for sanctions relief ~ Nikita Ivansky ~ Anarchist Nikolai (Mikola) Dziadok was among 52 political prisoners released and deported from Belarus to Lithuania on 11 September, following negotiations between dictator Alexander Lukashenko and US envoy John Colae. In return, the US lifted sanctions on the state airline Belavia and renewed calls to reopen its embassy in Minsk—one of the largest pri…
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