The United States lobbied Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to release the prisoners

The United States lobbied Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to release the prisoners

Belarus on Thursday freed 52 political prisoners, including an EU staff member, journalists, and dissidents -- a release mediated by the United States as Minsk seeks closer ties with President Donald Trump.

Tens of thousands of Belarusians took to the streets in 2020 to protest what they called a sham presidential election in which Alexander Lukashenko secured himself a sixth term. 

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