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US special envoy expected to visit Minsk on Monday
John Coale
September 9, Pozirk. US Special Envoy for Belarus John Coale plans to visit Belarus on September 14, Alex Raufoglu, a Washington-based correspondent of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, wrote on X on Wednesday.
“Trump’s special envoy John Coale is planning to travel to Belarus again on Sep 14, two sources familiar with the planning tell me,” he said. “Coale is seeking another prisoner release, telling people around him he’s helped free 700-800 people and hopes to reach 1,000.”
In an interview with Voice of America published on August 29, John Coale said that he expects to secure the release of up to 300 Belarusian political prisoners by mid-September.
Coale said that he plans to visit Belarus again soon and hopes that Washington’s efforts would help bring the number of people freed to 1000.
In total, more than 400 political prisoners have been released as a result of talks between Minsk and Washington. In exchange, the United States is gradually lifting 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.
Cichanoŭskaja hopeful that more political prisoners will be released in coming weeks
September 3, Pozirk. Belarusian pro-democracy leader Sviatłana Cichanoŭskaja said that a new group of political prisoners would hopefully be released in the coming few weeks. “We work closely with our American partners on the humanitarian track launched by President Donald …
