What will Trump do about the 1,400 hostages in Belarus?

For nearly five years, prominent citizens have been locked up – including presidential candidates, teachers, doctors, journalists, union leaders, workers, pensioners and entire families. It shouldn’t be up to Nobel laureates alone to fight this injustice, writes Dmitry Bolkunets

In February, the United States succeeded in securing the release of several political prisoners in Belarus.

When a terrorist takes hostages, the world's attention is immediately drawn to the situation, and an emergency task force is created to save the victims. Nothing of this sort happens when more than 1,400 people are held hostage by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

For nearly five years, he has kept prominent citizens behind bars – including presidential candidates, teachers, doctors, journalists, union leaders, workers, pensioners, and entire families.

Tragically, some prisoners have died in custody without receiving any real help. Among them was renowned artist Ales Pushkin, whose works were exhibited in many European venues.

Europe has not faced a humanitarian catastrophe of this scale, caused by political repression, since the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century. More than 300,000 people have been forced to flee Belarus, thousands have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment, and the regime continues to confiscate the property of dictator Lukashenko’s political opponents.

In mid-February, for the third time in the past year, 33 Nobel laureates issued an open letter to world leaders and US president Donald Trump, urging comprehensive action to secure the release of political prisoners in Belarus. Among the signatories of the letter are Nobel Prize in Literature laureates Svetlana Alexievich (2015, Belarus) and Herta Müller (2009, Germany); Nobel Peace Prize laureates José Ramos-Horta (1996, president of East Timor), Jody Williams (1997, USA), Dmitry Muratov (2021, Russia), and Oleksandra Matviichuk (2022, Ukraine); as well as distinguished scientists who have made significant contributions to global science.

Nobel laureates "urge immediate and decisive action to free all political prisoners in Belarus. The international community cannot remain indifferent while thousands of innocent people suffer from political repression. We call on world leaders, public figures, and all people of conscience to support the campaign for the release of prisoners of conscience in Belarus. The fate of thousands depends on bold and co-ordinated international action," the statement reads.

Politicians continue to express only their diplomatic "concern," but refuse to take the necessary actions to free these innocent people. This ongoing trend – now in its fifth year – highlights the international community’s failure to address this crisis with the seriousness it demands.

The only language Lukashenko understands – and the one the international community must speak – is the language of ultimatums. This approach proved effective in July 2024, when Poland implemented an unprecedented temporary suspension of rail and road transport with Belarus for several days. This action forced Lukashenko to make significant concessions, including the release of 250 political prisoners over six months and a substantial reduction in the artificially created migration crisis at the border.

Today, the ongoing political crisis in Belarus poses a direct threat to European security. Belarus has become a staging ground for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons, endangering not only the region but global security as well.

The international community now has a unique opportunity to secure the release of all political prisoners in Belarus. The free world, including Poland, the EU, the UK, and the US, must issue a collective ultimatum to Lukashenko, giving him 48 hours to release all political prisoners without exception. If he refuses to comply, all cargo shipments from Belarus to the EU should once again be temporarily suspended.

This is just one of the punitive measures Lukashenko has rightfully earned. Other actions may be necessary, but what is needed above all is a firm, principled stance – and the political will to act.

By taking decisive action, the international community can put an end to the ongoing repression in Belarus, halt politically motivated persecution, and even bring Lukashenko to the negotiating table with opponents.

The free world bears a moral responsibility to secure the release of those who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus. Brave individuals striving to improve their country and participants in anti-war protests have been unjustly sentenced to prison terms of up to 25 years.

The inaction of world leaders, who have the power to resolve this crisis, only underscores a troubling reality: if nations cannot stand up to a deranged dictator, what major geopolitical challenges can they possibly solve? If the leaders of the free world refuse to address this issue, they should openly admit it rather than hiding behind empty “statements of concern,” as they have done for the past five years.

I hope that the moral authority of the 75 Nobel laureates who have signed three joint appeals will finally compel politicians to act and save the people.

Dmitry Bolkunets is the co-founder of the Belarus Democratic Forum, editor of the informational resource Bolkunets.org, and member of the European Association of Political Consultants. Read the appeal here.