Ales Bialiatski

Belarusian human-rights leader; 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Appears in 1 story

Born: September 25, 1962, Vyartsilya

Education: Faculty of Philology, Gomel State University, Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

Previous offices: The Minsk City Council of Deputies

Last updated Nov 1, 2026

Stories

Trump’s Belarus gambit: prisoners out, potash back in

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Released December 2025 after years in detention

A U.S. envoy went to Minsk to talk about prisoners—and walked out with both a promise and a delivery. After John Coale's December 2025 visit with Alexander Lukashenko, Treasury's OFAC published General License 13 on December 15, authorizing transactions with Belaruskali, Belarusian Potash Company, and Agrorozkvit—no expiration date. Belarus responded by freeing 123 political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski and opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, the regime's most valuable hostages.

Updated Sep 25