- Belarusian authorities agreed to release 25 political prisoners in exchange for the United States lifting sanctions on two Belarusian firms.
- John Coale, President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, announced the interim deal following direct talks with President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
- The newly freed individuals include journalists and media managers, with human rights advocates noting that authorities confiscated several passports in a forced deportation.
- Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya welcomed the release but warned that 887 political prisoners remain detained as repression continues.
- The agreement builds on previous U.S.-mediated deals that have rolled back select sanctions in exchange for prisoner releases since President Donald Trump returned to office.
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