Afghanistan, Dec. 14 -- Belarus released 123 political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, in exchange for U.S. sanctions relief on the country's potash industry.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has released 123 political prisoners in a rare move following negotiations with the United States, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava. The release is the largest since talks began earlier this year and marks a significant, though symbolic, step in Belarus-U.S. relations.
Most of the freed prisoners were relocated to neighboring countries; 114 were transferred to Ukraine and nine to Lithuania. Ales Bialiatski, aged and visibly changed after years in prison, embraced ...