In exchange for the September prisoner release, Washington has lifted sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, so that banks can unfreeze its financial assets.
But there is no move towards a wider political “thaw” in Belarus.
“In Belarus, everything goes in circles,” says Mikalai Dziadok. “After every wave of protest, round up as many political prisoners as possible, and then, little by little, trade them for a thaw in relations with the West.”
According to human rights centre Viasna, around 1,220 political prisoners remain behind bars.
The charges can range from insulting the president or taking part in an extremist organisation, to calling for actions that threaten Belarus’s national security.
Larysa Shchyrakova is now adjusting to her new life in Lithuania and everything she has, whether food or clothes, has been funded by the expat Belarusian community.
But at least now, more than a month after her release, she has finally been reunited with her 19-year old son.