Belarus has released 14 political prisoners, including three Polish nationals, following diplomatic negotiations involving the United States, Lithuanian officials confirmed on Saturday. The group — which also included Belarusians, Latvians, Japanese nationals, an Estonian, and a Swedish citizen — is now safe and receiving care in Lithuania.

Among those freed is Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a high-profile critic of Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. 

“They are now safe in Lithuania, where they are being given the necessary support,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, adding on X that the US played a “crucial role” in securing their release. 

“But this is not the end — more than a thousand hostages remain behind bars in Belarus. They must all be freed without delay.”

The announcement came shortly after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko met in Minsk with Keith Kellogg, special envoy of former US President Donald Trump on Ukraine.

Kellogg’s associate, lawyer John Coale, later credited Trump’s “strong leadership” for making the release possible.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also weighed in, thanking Kellogg on X for “ensuring the safe release of 14 political prisoners held in Belarus,” and pledged continued efforts to free the remaining detainees, including Polish-Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut.

Source: PAP

Photo: X/@PavelSlunkin

Tomasz Modrzejewski