Among those freed are prominent opposition figures, including Maryia Kalesnikava, a leading member of former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka’s campaign team, and Ales Bialiatski, the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The group also includes foreign nationals from several countries who had been held on charges widely criticised as politically motivated.
Belarusian state media said on Telegram that "123 citizens of various states, convicted of espionage, terrorist activity and extremism, have been pardoned."
Independent human rights groups dispute these classifications, noting that most had been jailed for peaceful political activity or for opposing the government of Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Link to US–Belarus negotiations
The releases follow two days of talks in Minsk between President Lukashenko and John Coale, a special envoy of US President Donald Trump.
According to media reports, Washington later said it would lift sanctions on Belarusian potash exports – one of the country’s key revenue sources – as part of the agreement.
This marks the third such release after earlier rounds of US–Belarus dialogue: 14 political prisoners were freed in June, and a further 51 in September.
According to the latest information, 114 of those released were taken to Ukraine, while nine were transported to Lithuania.
Human rights defender Anna Hawina of the "Memorial" association told Polish Radio that the group includes citizens of Poland, Australia, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine.
She confirmed that Kalesnikava had already spoken with her sister following her release.
However, she noted that Andrzej Poczobut, a prominent Polish-Belarusian journalist, was not on the list of those freed.
Polish citizen among those released
Polish citizen Roman Gałuza, accused by Belarus of treason under Article 356 of the criminal code, was also freed.
Gałuza had lived in Poland for nine years, obtained citizenship, and volunteered to support Belarusian refugees before being detained on a visit to Belarus in 2023.
Friends say they believe his arrest may have been pre-planned by Belarusian security services.
Over 1,100 political prisoners remain
Despite the high-profile releases, Belarusian opposition groups stress that more than 1,100 political prisoners remain behind bars.
Many of them, activists warn, face harsh conditions, limited contact with families, and uncertain legal prospects.
(ał)
Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters