Overview
- In his annual address and at the All‑Belarusian People's Assembly on Dec. 18, Alexander Lukashenko said authorities will not allow freed and expelled political prisoners to re‑enter Belarus.
- He framed the policy as border protection and said so‑called foreign agents and extremists would no longer operate in the country’s political sphere.
- Lukashenko asserted the exchanges were initiated by U.S. negotiators rather than by his own preference.
- On Dec. 13, Belarus released 123 political prisoners in a deal tied to the U.S. lifting sanctions on Belaruskali, including Ales Belyatsky, Viktor Babariko, Maksim Znak, Alexander Feduta, and Maria Kolesnikova.
- Earlier releases, which included Sergey Tikhanovsky, coincided with the U.S. lifting sanctions on the state airline Belavia and on an aircraft used by Lukashenko’s family.