Belarus News, December 13, 2025, Avia.pro. Following talks between the American delegation and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, the country began the process of releasing a significant number of political prisoners.

The first significant event was the release of prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova, who had spent more than five years in prison. Her release was unexpected, given the harsh conditions previously reported by her sister, Tatyana Khomich.

It also became known that among those released is 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, founder of the human rights organization Viasna, who was serving a 10-year sentence on politically motivated charges.

Also among those released was Viktor Babariko, a former 2020 presidential candidate who was arrested before the election and held in pre-trial detention for more than 630 days.

In total, 123 political prisoners are known to be released in Belarus.