Belarus releases 52 prisoners after Trump appeal, US embassy says
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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is seeking to repair relations with the US after years of isolation.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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VILNIUS – Belarus has freed 52 prisoners of various nationalities, and they are now on their way to Lithuania with the US delegation that negotiated their release, a spokesman for the US embassy in Vilnius said on Sept 11.
US President Donald Trump earlier called on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to release detainees whom the US leader has described as “hostages”.
It was the biggest batch of prisoners so far pardoned by Mr Lukashenko, who is seeking to repair relations with the United States after years of isolation and sanctions on his former Soviet state.
But it was far short of the total of 1,300 or 1,400 prisoners whose release Mr Trump called for in a conversation with Mr Lukashenko in August and in subsequent social media posts.
“A US-led delegation with President Trump’s deputy assistant John Coale (is) heading to Vilnius after negotiations in Minsk, with 52 prisoners of various nationalities released,” the embassy spokesman said.
Belarus’ state news agency Belta said the prisoners freed on Sept 11 included 14 foreign nationals from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, France, Britain and Germany.
Belta also quoted Mr Coale, a lawyer acting on behalf of Mr Trump, as saying Mr Trump told Mr Lukashenko that the US wants to reopen its embassy in Minsk.
Earlier, Mr Lukashenko greeted Mr Coale in Minsk. Mr Coale passed a letter from Mr Trump in English to Mr Lukashenko signed “Donald”.
“If Donald insists that he is ready to take in all these released prisoners, God bless you, let’s try to work out a global deal, as Mr Trump likes to say, a big deal,” said Mr Lukashenko, who also praised the US leader for seeking a peace deal in Ukraine.
Mr Coale said the fact that Mr Trump signed the letter simply as “Donald” was “a rare act of personal friendship”.
Putin ally
Mr Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has led Belarus through more than three decades of authoritarian rule. He had said as recently as Aug 22 that he was not prepared to release “bandits” who might “wage war” against the state.
Mr Trump has flattered the veteran leader, long treated as a pariah by the West, and said he plans to meet with him. Last week, he described him as a “very respected man, strong person, strong leader”.
The release took place at a moment of high tension in the Russia-Ukraine war, a day after Poland shot down suspected Russian drones
Belarus shares borders with three Nato countries and with Ukraine. Mr Lukashenko allowed Mr Putin to use Belarusian territory for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but his army has not directly participated in the war. REUTERS
