Fourteen foreign nationals among those pardoned by Belarus leader Lukashenko at Trump's request, Belta reports

MOSCOW, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Fourteen foreign citizens were among 52 prisoners pardoned by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, state news agency Belta said on Thursday.

The 14 had been convicted of crimes including espionage, extremism, and terrorism. They included six Lithuanians, one French citizen, one Briton, and two each from Latvia, Poland, and Germany, Belta said.

The freed prisoners are now on their way to Lithuania, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Vilnius said.

The announcement came after Lukashenko met with John Coale, a representative of Trump, who said Washington was lifting sanctions on the state-run Belarusian airline Belavia.