The release of 250 political prisoners in Belarus, announced this Thursday, marks the biggest gesture of the Alexander Lukashenko government in the framework of negotiations with the United States to ease international sanctions. The measure is part of a process of diplomatic rapprochement that seeks to end years of isolation following the repression of protests in 2020
Among those released was the activist Marfa Rabkova, a member of the human rights organization Viasna, who was serving a sentence of almost 15 years on charges of “extremism” that were always denied by her. Journalists, bloggers and political opponents were also released from prison. However, independent organizations estimate that more than 1,100 people are still being detained for political reasons.
The release of the political prisoners came after a meeting between Trump representative John Coale and Lukashenko
From Washington, the Trump administration welcomed the progress. As part of the understanding, the United States announced the lifting of sanctions on two Belarusian banks and the Ministry of Finance, in addition to previous measures that allowed the partial resumption of trade in potash, one of the country's main export products
.
Coale noted that there is an expectation that all political prisoners will be released before the end of the year. If that objective is realized, the United States would consider completely eliminating the sanctions imposed after the political crisis of 2020. The US envoy also indicated that Lukashenko was urged to stop new arrests, in what he described as a clear message about the limits
of bilateral rapprochement.
The process also has geopolitical implications. Belarus maintains a close relationship with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, whom Lukashenko has backed in the war in Ukraine. However, Washington believes that greater dialogue with Minsk could open up spaces of indirect influence in the region
. The Trump administration has lifted economic sanctions on Belarus and is considering more deregulation as the release of prisoners continues
In this context, a possible visit by Lukashenko to the United States is not ruled out, which would represent a significant change in his international position after years of isolation. Analysts point out that this possible approach reflects a pragmatic strategy of the Trump administration, focused on obtaining concrete concessions on human rights through direct
negotiation.
For her part, the opposition leader in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, described the releases as “a moment of relief and hope”, although she warned that the situation remains critical as long as other activists remain in detention. “Our goal remains to liberate everyone and end the repression,” he said in a statement
