Polish foreign ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński said at a Thursday briefing that preliminary lists include three Polish citizens—some serving long sentences—and eight Belarusians who worked with Poland-funded TV Belsat and other Polish media. He declined to name those freed, saying the ministry would issue an official statement once its representative meets them.
Wroński thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and his envoys John Coale and Christopher Smith for their involvement in negotiations. He said journalist and Polish minority activist Andrzej Poczobut was not among those released, adding Poland hopes he will be included “in the next group.”
The U.S. embassy in Vilnius first reported the releases, followed by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, who confirmed the group was on Lithuanian territory and later said they had safely crossed the border and reached Vilnius. Nausėda noted six Lithuanian citizens were among those freed.
Belarusian state agency BelTA said President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 14 foreigners at the request of the U.S. president and other leaders, describing the cases as involving charges such as “espionage” and “participation in extremist and terrorist activity,” accusations frequently used against opposition figures and pro-democracy protesters.
Independent Belarusian media named some of those freed as opposition politician and former presidential candidate Mikola Statkevich, philosopher Vladimir Matskevich, activist Mikola Dziadok, opposition blogger Ihar Losik and Lithuanian citizen Elena Ramanauskiene. Belsat said several released political prisoners declined to leave Belarus.
Agnieszka Romaszewska, Belsat’s founder and longtime editor-in-chief, called the move a “bargaining chip” in Lukashenko’s dealings with the West.
“Lukashenko has long traded political prisoners,” she said, adding the timing surprised even those who had campaigned for years for their release. Many were detained in 2021–2022, with some spending nearly three years in prison and others up to five, she said.
Romaszewska said most freed were tied to Western-funded media such as Belsat and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and argued U.S. negotiators were effective. She warned that key figures remain jailed, including reporter Katsyaryna Andreeva—known for coverage of the 2020 Minsk protests—her husband Igor Ilasz, whose trial is underway, and Poczobut, whom she described as a “trump card” for Lukashenko.
Journalists from the independent BelaPAN agency are still serving lengthy terms of 12 to 14 years, she added.
While welcoming the releases, Romaszewska urged Warsaw to keep a firm line toward Minsk.
Closing borders—especially rail—had “hurt Belarus,” she said, and any talks with Lukashenko should be strictly “something for something” while maintaining strong leverage.
She framed the releases as part of a broader political calculus in which Lukashenko seeks to improve his image and win concessions, including on sanctions, while presenting himself as a more conciliatory figure than Vladimir Putin. Allies should treat the gesture pragmatically and avoid placing broader hopes on it, she said.
(jh)
Source: PAP