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5h ago

Belarus Releases Opposition Leader Tsikhanouski and 13 Others After U.S. Envoy Visit

It marks a rare diplomatic breakthrough as Belarus seeks to ease its isolation under sustained Western sanctions.

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In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Volgograd on April 29, 2025. (Photo by Mikhail METZEL / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MIKHAIL METZEL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • After nearly five years in custody, Tsikhanouski and 13 other political prisoners were transferred to Lithuania for medical and legal support.
  • Their release followed a rare visit by U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg and a meeting with President Lukashenko in Minsk.
  • Tsikhanouski was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for organising riots and inciting hatred after the contested 2020 election.
  • Opposition figures and international leaders, including Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, President Trump and EU officials, have hailed the move but stressed that more than 1,150 detainees remain behind bars.
  • Belarus continues to face sanctions over its human rights record and support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and calls for further prisoner releases persist.