The Trump administration said more releases would be secured soon amid improved US-Belarus relations.
The deal is part of the Trump administration’s more transactional approach to a close Russian ally that Europe has tried to isolate.
Since Trump returned to the White House for his second term, Lukashenko has released hundreds of political prisoners in a series of U.S.-mediated deals that also lifted some U.S. sanctions
Hundreds remain in prison, including journalists, trade unionists and others who supported the 2020 protests against Aliaksandr Lukashenka’s re-election.
Belarus will release 25 more prisoners under an interim agreement with the United States, while Washington plans to lift sanctions on two Belarusian companies and pursue broader negotiations.