Trump picks John Coale as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the lawyer and current envoy for Belarus, John Coale, who has been credited with the release of hundreds of prisoners, will be his special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 15 prisoners last month after talks with Coale, who has held talks with Minsk for more than a year.

“John has already secured the return of over 65 Americans and allied citizens from Belarus over the past year and has negotiated the release of more than 800 political prisoners from multiple countries in Eastern Europe,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Coale will replace Adam Boehler, who according to Trump had brought home 196 hostages. Boehler, who in August helped secure the release of a former U.S. Marine from Russia, will continue to assist on other issues as a senior adviser, Trump added.