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.

Many were detained during a brutal crackdown and later prosecuted on what rights groups denounced as politically motivated charges.

Trump has been pushing Lukashenko to free the more than 1,000 political prisoners rights groups say are still behind bars.

Among those released on Thursday were Mikola Statkevich, 69, a veteran dissident who stood against Lukashenko in a 2010 presidential contest, said rights gr

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