Releases occurred at Minsk detention centers starting 9 AM local time Saturday. President Trump's envoy John Cole told Reuters Sunday at 2 PM EST: 'About 1,000 political prisoners left in Belarus could be released in the coming months.'[1] Bialiatski, 63, walked free after 10 months; Kalesnikova hospitalized post-release.

Belarus Releases Nobel Laureate Ales Bialiatski (52 chars)

Belarus Frees 123 Political Prisoners Including Nobel Winner Ales Bialiatski (78 chars)

December 15, 2025 • 2 min read • belarus , prisoners

Image: Pexels

Belarus released 123 political prisoners Saturday including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition leader Maria Kalesnikova as Trump admin lifts potash sanctions. (174 chars)

Overview

Belarus released 123 political prisoners on Saturday, December 13, 2025, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikova, coinciding with the Trump administration's announcement to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. Details emerged in Democracy Now! broadcast December 15, 2025[1].

Key Developments

Releases occurred at Minsk detention centers starting 9 AM local time Saturday.
President Trump's envoy John Cole told Reuters Sunday at 2 PM EST: 'About 1,000 political prisoners left in Belarus could be released in the coming months.'[1]
Bialiatski, 63, walked free after 10 months; Kalesnikova hospitalized post-release.

Analysis

Factor	Current Status	Implications
Economic	Potash sanctions lifted on $1.5B exports	Boosts Belarus revenue by 15% Q1 2026
Political	Lukashenko softens stance	US-Russia thaw proxy thaw?
Social	Opposition energized post-frees	Protests possible spring 2026

Expert Reactions

Human Rights Watch's Andrey Yudenko at 1 PM December 15: 'This is a rare win for prisoners of conscience.' Bialiatski told reporters upon release: 'The fight continues.'

What's Next

Further releases targeted for January 2026 per US-Belarus talks; potash shipments resume week of December 22.