August 30, Pozirk. US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale expects to secure the release of up to 300 jailed Belarusian dissidents by mid-September, he told Voice of America, a media outlet blacklisted in Belarus earlier this year.
Coale said he plans to visit Belarus again soon and hopes Washington’s efforts will help bring the number of people freed to 1,000.
The US diplomat noted that he and Alaksandar Łukašenka agreed on the need to normalize US-Belarus relations. Both countries have taken important steps toward improving ties over the past year and are moving in the right direction, he added.
Coale said that almost all prominent designated political prisoners had been released, while many people jailed for their participation in the 2020 post-election protests are now free. He also noted the issue remains on the agenda of ongoing US-Belarus negotiations.
Washington is in contact with Vilnius and Warsaw and is trying to build relationships with everyone who can help resolve the situation, the official stressed.
Hundreds of designated political prisoners were released as a result of talks between Minsk and Washington. In exchange, the US is gradually lifting its sanctions against the Łukašenka regime.
In particular, Washington has dropped its restrictive measures against Biełinvestbank, the Development Bank of Belarus, the Ministry of Finance, the Biełaruśkalij potash giant and Belarusian Potash Company, and Belarus’ national airline Biełavija.
Following his last meeting with a US delegation led by Coale on March 19, Łukašenka ordered the release of 250 political prisoners, of whom 235 were allowed to stay in Belarus and 15 were taken to Lithuania.
