VILNIUS, Sept 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy to Belarus, John Coale, told Reuters on Wednesday he expects to visit the country again around one month from now, hoping to secure the release of hundreds more prisoners. Belarus on Wednesday agreed to free 25 prisoners in return for a further easing of U.S. […]
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Exclusive-US envoy hopes Belarus will release hundreds more prisoners next month
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VILNIUS, Sept 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy to Belarus, John Coale, told Reuters on Wednesday he expects to visit the country again around one month from now, hoping to secure the release of hundreds more prisoners.
Belarus on Wednesday agreed to free 25 prisoners in return for a further easing of U.S. sanctions as Washington urges Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to free human rights campaigners, political activists and others.
“I hope hundreds (are released). I don’t know. That’s my hope,” Coale said of his next planned trip to Minsk.
“I’m confident that we’ll get a lot more out.”
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik and Hugh Lawson)