September 28, Pozirk. John Coale, President Donald Trump’s deputy special envoy to Ukraine, has indirectly confirmed on X that he may be involved in talks on securing the release of jailed Belarusian rights champion Aleś Bialacki.
The diplomat has shared an X post by the National Anti-Crisis Management dedicated to Bialacki’s 63rd birthday and calling for the release of Nobel Prize laureate and all jailed dissidents in Belarus. When asked by another user when this might happen, Coale replied “very soon.”
Bialacki, his associates Valancin Stefanovič and Uładzimir Łabkovič have been held behind bars in Belarus since July 2021. In March 2023, they were sentenced to 10, nine and seven years, respectively, on charges widely seen as politically motivated.
In 2022, Bialacki was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (he shares the award with human rights organizations Memorial, Russia, and Center for Civil Liberties, Ukraine).
Earlier this month, Alaksandar Łukašenka pardoned 52 jailed regime critics, including prominent opposition figures and journalists, following his meeting with Coale.
