In this photo released by Belarusian presidential press service, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, right, and U.S. Presidential envoy John Coale shake hands during their meeting in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP)2025-12-13T11:46:58Z VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) Belarusian authorities on Saturday freed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova from prison, a human rights advocate confirmed to The Associated Press. Their release comes as authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to improve relations with Washington. In exchange for sanctions relief, Lukashenko pardoned 123 prisoners, the Belta state news agency reported. The U.S. earlier on Saturday announced lifting sanctions on the countrys potash sector.A close ally of Russia, Minsk has faced Western isolation and sanctions for years. Lukashenko has ruled the nation of 9.5 million with an iron fist for more than three decades, and the country has been repeatedly sanctioned by Western countries both for its crackdown on human rights and for allowing Moscow to use its territory in the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Belarus has released hundreds of prisoners since July 2024. John Coale, the U.S. special envoy for Belarus, announced the lifting of sanctions on potash after meeting Lukashenko in Minsk on Friday and Saturday. Speaking with journalists, Coale described the two-day talks as very productive, Belarus state news agency Belta reported Saturday. He said that normalizing relations between Washington and Minsk was our goal. Were lifting sanctions, releasing prisoners. Were constantly talking to each other, he said, according to Belta. He also said that the relationship between the countries was moving from baby steps to more confident steps as they increased dialogue. Bialiatski and Kolesnikova among those releasedLater Saturday, Bialiatski and Kolesnikova were released from prison, according to Pavel Sapelka, human rights advocate with the Viasna rights group. Human rights advocate Bialiatski won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, along with the prominent Russian rights group Memorial and Ukraines Center for Civil Liberties.Bialiatski, awarded the prize while in jail awaiting trial, was later convicted of smuggling as well as financing actions that violate public order charges widely denounced as politically motivated and sentenced to 10 years in 2023.Authorities said Bialiatski, who founded Viasna, Belarus oldest and most prominent human rights group, was seen as especially dangerous because of what the authorities alleged were his extremist tendencies. The 63-year-old has been imprisoned at a penal colony in Gorki in a facility that is notorious for beatings and hard labor. Bialiatskis wife said his health was deteriorating and he has multiple chronic illnesses.A U.N. panel of human rights experts has called on Belarus to release him.Kolesnikova was a key figure in the mass protests that rocked Belarus in 2020, and is a close ally of an opposition leader in exile, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Kolesnikova, known for her close-cropped hair and trademark gesture of forming a heart with her hands, became an even greater symbol of resistance when Belarusian authorities tried to deport her in September 2020. Driven to the Ukrainian border, she briefly broke away from security forces at the frontier, tore up her passport and walked back into Belarus.The 43-year-old professional flautist was convicted in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to seize power and sentenced to 11 years in prison. She fell seriously ill behind bars and underwent surgery. The release of prisoners is part of a deal The last time U.S. officials met with Lukashenko in September 2025, Washington announced easing some of the sanctions against Belarus while Mink released more than 50 political prisoners into Lithuania. Overall, Belarus freed more than 430 political prisoners since July 2024, in what was widely seen as an effort at a rapprochement with the West.The freeing of political prisoners means that Lukashenko understands the pain of Western sanctions and is seeking to ease them, Tsikhanouskaya told the AP on Saturday. She added: But lets not be naive: Lukashenko hasnt changed his policies, his crackdown continues and he keeps on supporting Russias war against Ukraine. Thats why we need to be extremely cautious with any talk of sanctions relief, so that we dont reinforce Russias war machine and encourage continued repressions. Tsikhnouskaya also described European Union sanctions against Belarusian potash fertilizers as far more painful for Minsk that those imposed by the U.S, saying that while easing U.S. sanctions could lead to the release of political prisoners, European sanctions should push for longterm, systemic changes in Belarus and the end of Russias war in Ukraine. The latest round discussions also touched on Venezuela, as well as Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Belta said. Coale told reporters that Lukashenko had given good advice on how to address the conflict, saying that Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin were longtime friends with the necessary level of relationship to discuss such issues.Naturally, President Putin may accept some advice and not others, Coale said. YURAS KARMANAU Karmanau is an Associated Press journalist covering Belarus and the CIS countries. He has worked in Belarus and Ukraine, as well as other countries in the region, for more than 20 years. He is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. mailto