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Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko pardoned 123 foreign nationals convicted of espionage, terrorism and extremism-related charges on Saturday, the culmination of negotiations with the United States that resulted in Washington lifting sanctions on the country's potassium fertilizer industry.
The move comes as the most significant diplomatic breakthrough between the two countries in years, with both sides framing the agreement as a first step toward normalizing relations that deteriorated sharply following Belarus's disputed 2020 presidential election and subsequent crackdown on opposition figures.
The pardons were granted "in accordance with agreements reached with US President Donald Trump and at his request," following the cancellation of sanctions against Belarus's fertilizer sector, according to a statement from Lukashenko's press service. The statement added that the decision was also motivated by requests from other heads of state and "universal human and family values, as well as humanitarian principles."
Among those pardoned were citizens from the United States, Britain, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, Australia and Japan, though Belarusian authorities did not release names or specific details about individual cases.
US Special Representative to Belarus John Coale met with Lukashenko on Friday to finalize the arrangement. Following the meeting, Coale announced the immediate lifting of sanctions on potassium-containing fertilizers.
"In accordance with President Trump's instructions, the United States is removing sanctions on fertilizers containing potassium," Coale told reporters. "I think this is a very good step taken by the United States for Belarus. We are removing the sanctions now."
Coale indicated that additional sanctions could be lifted as bilateral relations improve. "As relations between the two countries normalize, more sanctions will be removed," he said, expressing hope that both sides would eventually reach "a situation where there are no sanctions."
The meeting between Lukashenko and Coale covered topics beyond the immediate prisoner exchange, including the war between Ukraine and Russia and the situation in Venezuela. Coale characterized the discussions as "very productive" and said Lukashenko offered advice on ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, noting the Belarusian leader's close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At the start of their meeting, Lukashenko praised Trump's recent actions. "I've been told that he likes to be complimented," Lukashenko said, according to the Belta news agency. "But I'm not doing this to flatter him, I want to say that I really like his recent actions."
Coale emphasized that the agreements mark the beginning of a normalization process. "Our goal is to continue doing the things we are doing to further normalize relations," he said. "We are removing sanctions, we are releasing prisoners."
Belarus's potassium fertilizer industry represents a significant portion of the country's economy and supplies approximately 12-13 percent of global demand. The sector had been targeted by international sanctions as part of broader measures imposed on Minsk over human rights concerns and its support for Russia's military operations in Ukraine.
The November 2024 pardon of 23 citizens from Australia, Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, the United States, Ukraine and Japan preceded Saturday's larger release, bringing the total number of foreign nationals pardoned in recent months to 156. The earlier pardons appeared to lay groundwork for the more comprehensive agreement announced this weekend.
The Belarusian presidential press service characterized Saturday's decision as "aimed at accelerating the positive momentum in the development of relations with Belarus's partner countries and in the interest of stabilizing the situation in the European region."
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