Lukashenko frees Nobel winner Bialiatski and key Belarus opposition figures in deal with US

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with John Coale, a representative of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Minsk, Belarus December 12, 2025. President of the Republic of Belarus/Handout via REUTERS

VILNIUS, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 123 prisoners on Saturday including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava in a deal brokered by an envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump.

In return, the U.S. agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash. Potash is a key component in fertilisers, and the former Soviet state is a leading global producer.