Photo: Alamy
Donald Trump said Sunday that five prisoners from Poland and Moldova have been released from detention in Belarus and Russia following diplomatic efforts involving the United States.
“We just secured the release of three Polish and two Moldovan prisoners from Belarusian and Russian detention,” President Trump wrote on social media. “Thanks to my Special Presidential Envoy, John Coale, we were able to push hard to make this release happen.”
Among those released was Andrzej Poczobut, a prominent journalist and member of Belarus’ Polish minority whose imprisonment had drawn international attention.
“My friend, President Karol Nawrocki of Poland, met with me last September and asked me to help secure Andrzej Poczobut from Belarusian prison,” the president said. “Today, Poczobut is free due to our efforts. The United States delivers for our Allies and Friends.”
President Trump also thanked Alexander Lukashenko for his role in the release.
“Thank you to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for his cooperation and friendship. So nice!” he added.
Poczobut had been serving an eight-year sentence after his 2021 arrest, a case widely criticized by European officials as politically motivated. He is a correspondent for the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and had reported on pro-democracy protests in Belarus.
Radek Sikorski described Poczobut as a symbol of the struggle for freedom in Belarus and said Poland had worked to secure his return.
Polish officials said the release was part of a broader, multi-country arrangement that included prisoner exchanges between Belarus and Poland, as well as additional agreements involving other detainees.
The development reflects a limited improvement in contacts between the two nations, even as Belarus remains closely aligned with Russia and continues to face Western sanctions over human rights concerns and its role in regional conflicts.
