Belarus releases over 120 prisoners in deal with US Including Nobel Prize winner

On December 13, the Belarusian government announced that it released 123 people, including foreigners, a Nobel Prize winner and several political opposition leaders, who were being held in prison on "espionage, terrorism, and extremism" charges.

Belarusian government officials said in a statement that the release is part of "agreements reached with U.S. President Donald Trump" and involves the United States lifting sanctions on the Belarusian potash industry, per ABC News.

U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale told reporters in Minsk on December 13 that the U.S. was lifting sanctions against Belarusian potash producer Belaruskali, one of the European country's largest state-owned companies.

Coale said the goal is to normalise relations between the U.S. and Belarus and that "more sanctions will be lifted" in the future.

Among the prisoners released were two prominent Belarusian activists, Nobel Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava.

Of the detainees, 114 were transferred to Ukraine while the remaining nine, including Bialiatski, were transferred to Lithuania, according to the Ukrainian government.