Lukashenko grants clemency to 15 more detainees after US envoy talks

On Thursday, Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree freeing 15 individuals, ten of whom are women, after they applied for clemency and showed contrition. This action comes after a series of negotiations with John Coale, the representative of US President Donald Trump, who has been working for over a year to obtain releases of opposition figures, activists, journalists and lawyers in return for sanction relief. Viasna, a banned human-rights organization, estimates that 883 political prisoners are still incarcerated on charges such as extremist activity and insulting the president.

While Lukashenko denies the existence of political prisoners, he continues to engage with the Trump administration to alleviate sanctions and reduce international isolation. In addition to the pardons, Lukashenko demanded the release of $43-44 million in frozen assets held by Citibank, a request Coale said he would address.