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Belarus on Wednesday freed 25 political prisoners as the United States lifts sanctions on two of the reclusive country's companies, US envoy John Coale announced after his latest visit to Minsk.

    Hundreds remain in prison in Moscow-allied Belarus after President Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, suppressed mass protests against his re-election in 2020.

    Washington has re-opened dialogue with Minsk and eased some sanctions, with Coale's visits leading to several prisoner releases since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.

    "Twenty-five prisoners are free today!", Coale said on social media, publishing an image with the group, expected to be brought to neighbouring Lithuania.

    Among them were several journalists, including the former head of Belarus's now closed news website Tut.by Lyudmila Chekina. Reporters Andrei Alexandrov and Irina Zlobina, who were among the group, married behind bars after being imprisoned for their work.

    It also included activists, such as Yana Pinchuk. She was arrested in Russia in 2021 and deported to Belarus at the request of the Belarusian KGB security services -- despite the UN's human rights committee calling on Moscow not do so.

    Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya thanked the United States for the "difficult negotiations" and hoped for more releases. "Every person released is a victory", she said.

    Coale earlier said Washington will "in exchange" remove sanctions on two Belarusian companies -- named as paint manufacturer Lakokraska and forestry group Bellesbumprom.

    Western countries squeezed Belarus with sanctions for its repression in 2020 and imposed more restrictions in 2022 after Minsk allowed Moscow to invade Ukraine through its territory.

    The independent Viasna rights group, which monitors arrests in Belarus, says there are currently almost 900 political prisoners in the country.

    Rights groups and activists warn that while the government is releasing some, it is also imprisoning others.

    Last week, a court jailed a lawyer, Dmitry Layevsky, for three years. He had stayed in Belarus and had represented opposition figure Viktor Babaryko -- who was freed last year but whose son remains in prison.

    Trump's administration restarted contact with Minsk last year in a move that came as Washington tries to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine.