Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, after the US agreed to lift sanctions on the Eastern European country.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski is also among those who have been freed following talks in Minsk with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale.
The US has agreed to lift sanctions on potash, a key ingredient in fertiliser and an important export for the country whose president, Alexander Lukashenko, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Coale said: “As relations between the two countries normalise, more and more sanctions will be lifted.”
The EU has not recognised Lukashenko as president.
Kolesnikova has been in prison since 2020, much of the time in isolation.
Her sister, Tatiana, who campaigned tirelessly for her release was able to speak to her by video call soon after and confirmed the news to the BBC.
A group of those released are expected in Lithiana’s capital Vilnius shortly. A crowd is gathering outside the US embassy.