Belarus Bialiatski

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, one of the Belarusian prisoners released on Saturday, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.

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Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski describes Belarus prison ordeal in first interview after release

Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski describes Belarus prison ordeal in first interview after release

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski has been released from a Belarusian prison after more than four years. He was freed on Saturday as part of a deal with the U.S., which lifted some of the sanctions on Belarus. Bialiatski, a veteran human rights advocate, spoke to The Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania. He described “inhumane” conditions in the penal colony, including limited medical care. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has faced Western sanctions for its human rights record and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bialiatski was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 while imprisoned.