Belarus Releases Key Political Prisoners, Including Nobel Laureate, in U.S. Negotiation

Belarus has released 123 inmates, among them opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Ales Bialiatski, and former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka, following an agreement facilitated by the United States.

This release was part of the recent decision to lift «illegal» U.S. sanctions on Belarus’s potash sector, announced earlier on Saturday, alongside efforts to remove additional sanctions on the country, as stated by President Alexander Lukashenko’s press service via the Belarusian Telegram channel, Pul Pervovo.

All of the liberated individuals are now outside the borders of Belarus, according to an advisor to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Kalesnikava, aged 43, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2021 for her role in leading significant protests against Lukashenko’s re-election in 2020. She chose not to go into exile, famously tearing up her passport at the Belarus-Ukraine border, and was later imprisoned for violating national security and allegedly plotting to seize power.

«I just had a video call with Maria,» her sister Tatsiana Khomich said on X, celebrating her release. «She is free! I can’t express how happy I am! I can’t wait to embrace her again.»

The Belarusian human rights organization Viasna reported that Bialiatski was also among those released.

Bialiatski, aged 63, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2023 on smuggling charges and for financing activities deemed to disrupt public order—a verdict that faced significant backlash in Western nations.

Babaryka, 62, a former banker whose 2020 presidential campaign was overseen by Kalesnikava before his arrest, was serving a 14-year sentence for fraud and money laundering, allegations he steadfastly denies.

According to the exiled news outlet Zerkalo, Babaryka was included in the Saturday release.

The released individuals faced charges such as espionage, terrorism, and extremism, and included citizens from various nations, including the United States and Latvia.

Since the protests of 2020, which drew hundreds of thousands of Belarusians advocating for democratic elections, Belarus has executed a severe crackdown on opposition activists and citizens who speak out against Lukashenko, often labeling them as “extremists” and issuing lengthy prison terms.

Minsk has aimed to enhance its relationship with the U.S. following President Donald Trump’s return to office this year, having released many political prisoners, including prominent opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski in recent months.

As of November 2025, Viasna estimates that Belarus had over 1,200 political prisoners.

This situation is ongoing.