Following the visit of U.S. Special Envoy John Cole to Belarus, Minsk has begun to release political prisoners. "As a gesture of goodwill, Belarus will release 25 individuals," Cole's words are quoted by the Belarusian state agency BelTA on the morning of Wednesday, September 16. ## ## The U.S. Will Lift Sanctions on Two Belarusian Companies Cole also indicated that the U.S. will lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies - the paint production enterprise "Lakokraska" and the state-owned timber industry concern "Bellesbumprom." At the same time, he stated that Belarus and the United States have made "significant progress" in negotiations and have agreed on an "interim agreement." "The parties will continue working on resolving the remaining issues. As soon as all questions are resolved and agreed upon by both sides, further releases of individuals and the lifting of sanctions on Belarusian companies will follow," Cole added. ## ## Relatives of Prisoners Learned About Their Release the Day Before On the evening before, relatives of some prisoners learned that they would be able to pick up their loved ones from correctional colonies as early as the morning of September 16, writes the human rights center "Viasna." Cole's visit to Minsk began on September 15, the same day he met with Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. Previous visits by Cole to Belarus also ended with the release of political prisoners. In particular, a large group of prisoners was released in December 2025. Among others, one of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition, Maria Kolesnikova, was released at that time. In March, another 250 political prisoners were freed. As of the end of August 2026, according to "Viasna," there were 889 political prisoners in places of detention in Belarus.
