U.S. special envoy John Coale announced Wednesday that Belarus has agreed to release 25 prisoners following talks with authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The deal includes the lifting of U.S. sanctions against two Belarusian companies, building on previous prisoner releases mediated by Washington since 2025.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the humanitarian mission but emphasized that 887 political prisoners remain jailed under Lukashenko's rule.