Belarus
On March 6, 2026, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko issued a decree pardoning 18 prisoners, including 15 individuals convicted on extremism charges. This move is part of an ongoing effort to improve relations with the United States.
Since August 2025, following a phone call between President Lukashenko and U.S. President Donald Trump, over 140 prisoners have been pardoned. Notable figures among those previously released include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition leaders Maria Kolesnikova and Viktar Babaryka.
In response to these gestures, the U.S. has lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilizer production and the national airline, Belavia. However, despite these developments, human rights organizations report that repression continues in Belarus. According to the Viasna Human Rights Centre, approximately 1,140 political prisoners remain incarcerated, and arrests persist.
Recent cases include journalist Tsina Palynskaya and her daughter, who were sentenced to two years for extremism, and poet Aleh Khamenka, who received a three-year sentence for alleged ties to a banned radio station. Additionally, the literary group PEN Belarus has been declared extremist, raising concerns among its members and international observers.
Rights advocates describe the government's approach as a "revolving door" of arrests and selective pardons, questioning the sincerity of the administration's efforts to improve international relations.
