Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including the well-known opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova. This came after the US agreed to lift sanctions on Belarus. Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski was also freed. The talks happened in Minsk between US President Donald Trump's special envoy for Belarus, John Coale, and Belarusian officials. The US is lifting sanctions on potash, an important export ingredient used in fertilisers. Belarus's president, Alexander Lukashenko, is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. John Coale said, "As relations between the two countries normalise, more and more sanctions will be lifted." The European Union, however, has not recognised Lukashenko as president. Kolesnikova had been in prison since 2020, often held in isolation. Her sister, Tatiana, who worked hard for her release, spoke to her by video call and confirmed the news to the BBC. Some of the released prisoners are expected in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, soon. Meanwhile, a crowd has gathered outside the US embassy. This is a developing story with more details expected soon.