LONDON, January 21, 2026 — A high-level briefing was held in the UK Parliament, organized by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Belarus. The event was opened by the Chair of the group, the Rt Hon Wendy Morton MP.
In her opening remarks, Wendy Morton emphasized the British Parliament's steadfast support for the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus and highlighted the vital importance of international solidarity in protecting human rights.
At the invitation of the Belarus Democratic Forum, the U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus, John P. Coale, participated in the briefing. He provided a detailed overview of U.S. diplomatic efforts, which resulted in the release of more than 250 political prisoners in Belarus during 2025.
Valery Tsepkalo expressed his deep gratitude to John Coale and the United States for their pivotal role and decisiveness in securing the release of these individuals, noting the unique nature of the diplomatic breakthroughs achieved.
Veronika Tsepkalo, Head of the Belarus Women’s Foundation and Sakharov Prize laureate, called upon British Members of Parliament to nominate U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Special Envoy John P. Coale for the Nobel Peace Prize. She cited their "decisive diplomatic mediation and personal efforts, which led to the peaceful resolution of a major humanitarian crisis and the release of political prisoners in Belarus."
This nomination initiative is viewed as a form of strategic diplomatic credit intended to lock in the focus of the U.S. leadership on the situation in Belarus. The initiators believe that recognizing the progress already made will create the necessary political momentum to accelerate the release of all remaining political prisoners and bring a full end to political persecution. Ultimately, this would create the conditions for over 500,000 forced refugees to safely return to their homeland, ending a massive humanitarian crisis in the heart of Europe.
