A new step has been taken in the sanctions and detainee exchange between Belarus and the United States. John Coale, representative of U.S. President Donald Trump, said in Minsk that a preliminary agreement had been reached to lift U.S. sanctions on two companies in exchange for Belarus releasing 25 detainees.
Coale said the agreement was a gesture of goodwill and identified the companies slated to be removed from the sanctions list as Lakokraska, a producer of paints and industrial coatings, and state-owned Bellesbumprom, which operates in the forestry, pulp and paper sectors. Sanctions on Lakokraska have been in effect since 2008, while those on Bellesbumprom have been in place since 2023.
Coale said Washington and Minsk would continue working to improve relations and would also work toward the release of more people. He also pledged to seek the return by U.S. banks of assets frozen in Belarus, worth tens of millions of dollars.
Further releases and sanctions decisions on the agenda
Coale said Washington had been negotiating for a long time to secure the release of hundreds of people in Belarus, including human rights defenders, political activists, journalists and lawyers. He said the way could be opened for a new release process and additional decisions to lift sanctions.
The 25 people expected to be released under the new agreement are fewer than the 250 whose release the Belarusian authorities agreed to during Coale’s visit to Minsk in March. Coale said the parties would continue discussing unresolved issues.
Viasna announces new amnesty process
Viasna, a human rights organization banned in Belarus, announced that a new process to pardon detainees had begun. The organization said relatives of some detainees had been informed that they could collect their loved ones from prisons on Wednesday morning.
Viasna says more than 900 people it describes as political prisoners remain in Belarusian prisons. According to the organization, the most common charges against them include “extremist” activity, attempting to seize power, incitement to hatred and insulting the head of state.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko rejected the view that these people were political prisoners during talks on Tuesday. Lukashenko also rejected the assessment by human rights groups and the opposition in exile that new people were being detained to replace those who had been released.
Releases fuel debate over political change
Following Coale’s contacts since last year, numerous people have been released, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and prominent opposition figures.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition leader in exile, said the releases were important for saving lives but should not be confused with political change. Tsikhanouskaya argued that repression was continuing and that Lukashenko continued to support Russia’s war. She said the goal should be to empty the prisons, not to legitimize the Belarusian authorities.
