VILNIUS: Belarus freed 250 political prisoners on Thursday following negotiations with the United States, while Washington agreed to remove sanctions on several Belarusian companies in return, a US official said.

The prisoner release, the largest in years, came hours after US envoy John Coale met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.

US President Donald Trump has sought to build ties with Belarus, a close ally of Russia, since taking office last year, easing sanctions on the country and welcoming it to his “Board of Peace”.

The authoritarian state in eastern Europe has released dozens of prisoners in recent months, largely due to US efforts.

“Today’s release of 250 individuals is a significant humanitarian milestone and a testament to the President’s commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy,” Coale wrote on X.

“Freedom is our goal. We extend our deepest gratitude to our Lithuanian partners for their pivotal role in this mission,” he added. Among those released on Thursday were human rights activists Valentin Stefanovich, Marfa Rabkova and Anastasiya Loika, Belarusian rights group Viasna reported.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026