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Belarus Frees 14 Political Prisoners Including Opposition Leader After U.S. Envoy Visit

A rare concession following U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg’s trip to Minsk highlights continued detention of over 1,150 political prisoners

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Sergei Tikhanovsky had been in jail for more than five years
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Overview

  • Belarusian authorities released 14 political prisoners on June 21, including opposition figure Siarhei Tsikhanouski and journalist Ihar Karnei.
  • The pardons followed a meeting in Minsk between President Alexander Lukashenko and U.S. special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
  • Tsikhanouski, who was sentenced to 18 years for organising riots, arrived in Vilnius alongside other freed detainees.
  • His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, publicly thanked President Donald Trump, envoy Kellogg and European allies for securing the release.
  • Human rights groups report that more than 1,150 political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails under Lukashenko’s continued crackdown.