Belarus Releases 52 Politicalโ Prisoners asโข U.S. โขLiftsโฃ Sanctions on Belavia
MINSK, Belarus – Belarus โขhas released 52 political prisoners, a moveโข coinciding with the United States’ decision to lift some sanctions against Belavia, the country’s national airline.โ The prisonerโข release and sanctions easing signal a potential shift inโ relations between Belarus โand โฃthe west, especially the U.S., following years of strained tiesโ marked by political repression โand internationalโ condemnation.
The releases come after discussions between former U.S. President Donald trump and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko regarding prisoner releases,โ and a recent visit to Minskโข by Robert Coale, Trump’s former deputy Ukraine envoy. The U.S.โ had imposed โsanctions on Belavia in response โขto the forced โคdiversion of a Ryanair flight in May 2021, which led to โthe arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich.Lukashenko has โfaced widespread international criticism for his relentless crackdown on dissent, particularly following the August 2020 presidential election,โ which was widely considered rigged. The election sparked the โคlargest protests โin Belarus’ history, met with a brutal responseโ from authorities that โsaw tens of thousands detained, many beaten by police, and โคprominent โฃopposition figures imprisoned or โขforced into exile.โ Lukashenko afterward secured a โseventh term in a January 2025 election dismissed by the opposition as a farce.
The sanctions against Belavia had severely impacted the airline’s operations, forcing it toโ reduce its fleet โfrom 29 to 14 โขaircraft after โฃbeing barred from EU airspace and airports. The โlifting of U.S.sanctions is expected to allow Belavia toโ resume a broader range of international flights.