An interim agreement has been reached in talks between Belarus and the United States to lift sanctions on two companies in exchange for the release of 25 detainees. John Coale, an envoy of US President Donald Trump, announced the agreement on Wednesday in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
Coale said the arrangement was a goodwill gesture. The companies whose sanctions are scheduled to be lifted include Lakokraska, a producer of paints and industrial coatings, and the state-owned Bellesbumprom, which oversees the forestry, pulp and paper sectors.
Sanctions on Lakokraska have been in force since 2008, while those on Bellesbumprom have been in place since 2023. Coale said efforts to improve relations between the two countries and secure the release of more people would continue.
Washington will continue talks on new releases
Coale said Washington had been engaged in long-running negotiations aimed at securing the release of hundreds of people in Belarus, including human rights defenders, political activists, journalists and lawyers. He said the new agreement could pave the way for a broader process.
The 25 people scheduled for release this time are fewer than the 250 people Belarusian authorities agreed to release during Coale’s visit to Minsk in March. Coale said the parties would address unresolved issues, laying the groundwork for a new release process and additional sanctions relief.
Coale also pledged to work to ensure that assets frozen in Belarus, worth tens of millions of dollars, are returned by US banks.
Viasna announces new amnesty process
Viasna, a human rights organization banned in Belarus, announced that a new amnesty process for detainees had begun. The organization said some detainees’ relatives were informed on Wednesday morning that they could go to prisons to collect their loved ones.
Viasna says more than 900 people it describes as political prisoners remain in Belarusian prisons. According to the organization, the charges most frequently brought against them include “extremist” activities, attempting to seize power, incitement to hatred and insulting the head of state.
Belarusian President Aleksandr 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 exiled opposition that new people were being detained in place of those released.
Releases revive debate over political change
As a result of 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 exiled opposition leader, said the releases were important for saving lives but did not amount to 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 government.
