Belarus - March 2026

Belarusian authorities released 250 political prisoners as part of a US-brokered agreement that included the removal of US sanctions on the country’s financial sector and several state-linked potash companies. Of those released, 235 remained in Belarus while 15 were transferred to Lithuania. The group included prominent human rights defenders and opposition figures imprisoned following the regime’s crackdown on dissent after the disputed 2020 presidential election. The release is the largest since the crackdown began and may signal a slight easing of pressure on civil society. However, human rights organizations cautioned that convictions remain in place, and more than 1,100 political prisoners reportedly remain incarcerated.