Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the release of 123 political prisoners on December 13, 2025, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough with the United States under President Donald Trump. Among those freed are Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, both long-time critics of the regime.
Ales Bialiatski, founder of the human rights group Viasna, spent years advocating for political detainees before his own imprisonment on charges critics call politically motivated. Maria Kalesnikava, a prominent figure in the 2020 protests against Lukashenko's disputed election, resisted deportation attempts and became a symbol of defiance. The group also includes foreign nationals from Poland, Ukraine, Australia, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, and others, many accused of espionage or extremism by Minsk but defended as peaceful activists by rights organizations.
The releases followed two days of talks between Lukashenko and a U.S. envoy, leading Washington to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash exports a vital fertilizer component where the country is a top global producer. This move represents the largest such prisoner swap since earlier rounds in June (14 freed) and September (51 freed), signaling Minsk's push to thaw relations amid its alliance with Russia. Many exiles arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, or were routed through Ukraine, with Kyiv confirming five of its citizens among them.
Lukashenko, a close Putin ally who backed Russia's Ukraine invasion, faces ongoing Western isolation over his crackdown on dissent since 2020 mass protests. Rights groups hail the releases as progress but note hundreds of political prisoners remain, urging sustained pressure for full freedoms. The deal highlights Trump's administration prioritizing economic leverage over human rights rhetoric in engaging authoritarian states.