Belarus has pardoned 52 prisoners and launched them into Lithuania, in line with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Thursday, as the Baltic nation and Belarus each thanked US President Donald Trump for his involvement.
“No man left behind! 52 prisoners safely crossed the Lithuanian border from Belarus today, leaving behind barbed wire, barred windows and constant fear,” Nausėda mentioned in an announcement on social media, including that he’s personally and “deeply grateful” to the United States and Trump.
“52 is a lot. A great many,” he added. “Yet more than 1,000 political prisoners still remain in Belarusian prisons and we cannot stop until they see freedom!”
Belarus’ strongman chief Alexander Lukashenko introduced that 14 international nationals are amongst these Belarus launched “at the request of the President of the United States,” in line with his presidential pool. Those launched embrace six Lithuanian nationals, two Latvians, two Poles, two Germans, and one individual every from France and the United Kingdom, the pool mentioned.
It comes after Lukashenko met Thursday with John Coale, a consultant of Trump, who mentioned Washington was lifting sanctions on Belarus’ state-run airline, Belavia, in line with the Belarusian presidential workplace. Belarus mentioned Coale indicated the US needs to reopen its embassy in Minsk, however he didn’t specify a date.
Belarus additionally mentioned Coale handed alongside a letter from Trump and the American first girl, during which they wished Lukashenko effectively, and offered him with a present of cufflinks that includes a picture of the White House.
“No matter how banal it may sound, I want to thank your President (Trump) – not because I want to flatter him, that’s foreign to me – for the efforts he is making toward peace, primarily in our region,” Lukashenko mentioned in a gap assertion at the assembly.
Russian state media TASS reported that the 52 folks have been pardoned “on humanitarian grounds” and “as a gesture of goodwill” following the request of Trump and different world leaders.
Nausėda confirmed that six Lithuanians have been freed. Polish state media additionally reported that Polish nationals have been pardoned.
However, a full checklist of the pardoned prisoners has not but been launched.
The human rights group Viasna mentioned in a submit on Telegram that amongst these launched is Mikola Statkevich, a former Belarusian presidential candidate and political prisoner who was detained in 2020 and sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony. Nothing had been identified about his situation since February 9, 2023, Viasna mentioned.