Overview

• Siarhei Tikhanovsky was arrested in May 2020 ahead of Belarus’s contested presidential election and later sentenced to 18 years for organizing mass protests and inciting hatred.
• On June 21, 2025, Tikhanovsky and 13 fellow political prisoners were released and flown to Vilnius, Lithuania, where he reunited with his wife, exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
• Lukashenko’s spokesperson confirmed the release followed a direct request from President Donald Trump, backed by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg and support from European Union allies.
• Svetlana Tikhanovskaya posted a video of their first embrace since his detention, thanking Trump, Kellogg and European partners for their efforts and calling for care and rehabilitation for the freed prisoners.
• Despite this breakthrough, Tikhanovskaya warned that more than 1,150 political detainees remain behind bars in Belarus and urged continued international advocacy for their release.