Reacting to the release of 52 people imprisoned under politically motivated charges, including journalists, independent trade union leaders and activists, in Belarus, Anna Wright, Regional Researcher for Amnesty International, said:

“The release of 52 people locked up prison in Belarus for exercising their right to freedom of expression is welcome, but long overdue. While their walk to freedom is a relief, more than 1,000 people unjustly criminalised remain behind bars in the country.

“The Belarusian authorities continue their vicious crackdown on dissent. Anyone who dares criticise or protest against the government risks arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and other ill-treatment, as well as unfair trial. The climate of repression in Belarus remains all-pervasive. 

“The depth of ongoing abuse is exemplified by the outrageous treatment of opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich, who, alongside the other released prisoners, was brought to the Lithuanian border where he had to fight for his right not to be exiled.

“The only acceptable resolution to the ongoing human rights crisis in Belarus is the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained solely for exercising their human rights.”

Background

On 1 September 2025, 52 people were freed from arbitrary detention as part of a deal between Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka and US President Donald Trump.

In exchange, the US has said it will ease some sanctions on Belarus. The prisoner release coincided with a joint military exercise between Russia and Belarus, and followed an earlier incident which Poland called an unprecedented Russian drone incursion into its airspace.