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September 16, 2025 – Belarus/Poland/Lithuania/USA –
In a significant diplomatic move, Belarus has released 52 political prisoners, among them three Polish nationals and eight journalists affiliated with Belsat TV. The release comes amid continued international pressure and calls for justice for those imprisoned under the regime of President Alexander Lukashenko.
The group released includes Belarusian journalists who had been detained as political prisoners, many accused of discrediting the government or participating in activities deemed “extremist” by authorities. Polish citizens were also among those imprisoned, marking another layer of international concern and involvement in their cases.
Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the identities of the Polish citizens and acknowledged the cooperation of Polish, US, and Lithuanian leaders in negotiating or facilitating the release. Belsat TV’s editor-in-chief publicly thanked these leaders for their role in securing the freedom of the journalists.
For many of the released journalists, the ordeal had been lengthy: arrests, detention in harsh conditions, trial on broad and politically charged charges. Some had lost years of journalistic work, suffered isolation, and faced overt repression simply for covering dissent or reporting on human rights and protest movements.
While the release is being welcomed as a victory especially for the individuals and their families, human rights organisations warn that hundreds more remain in detention under similar accusations. The symbolic nature of releasing journalists is powerful, but it does not signal an end to repression or violations of press freedoms in Belarus.
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