Belarus frees 25 political prisoners for US sanctions relief while Viasna counts more than 900 still held

On September 16, 2026 Belarus released 25 political prisoners, including journalist Andrei Alyaksandrau, who had served part of a 14-year term; they were deported to Lithuania, and the US lifted sanctions on two state-linked companies in exchange. This followed a March 2026 release of 250.