Belarus freed apical absorption fig Sergei Tikhanovsky and much than a twelve different governmental prisoners Saturday pursuing an entreaty from the White House, Tsikhanouskaya's squad announced connected Saturday, a motion of warming ties betwixt Washington and Belarus-ally Moscow.
The merchandise came conscionable hours aft retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, President Trump's peculiar envoy for Ukraine and Russia, met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko successful Minsk, the highest-profile sojourn of a U.S. authoritative to the authoritarian authorities successful years.
Tikhanovsky's woman Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who took the mantle of the absorption question aft her husband's jailing, thanked President Trump straight for brokering the deal.
This photograph taken from video released by the Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Office connected June 21, 2025, shows Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, backmost to camera, going to hug her hubby Syarhei Tsikhanouski, during their gathering astatine the U.S. Embassy successful Vilnius, Lithuania, connected June 21, 2025, pursuing his merchandise by Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Office via AP
Lukashenko's spokeswoman said the Belarusian person had ordered the merchandise of the prisoners connected Mr. Trump's "request," Russian authorities media reported.
Mr. Trump appeared to instrumentality credit, penning "Thank you President Trump!" connected his Truth Social platform, alongside a nexus to a quality communicative astir the captive release.
European politicians and members of Belarus's exiled absorption besides welcomed the news.
"This is fantastic quality and a almighty awesome of anticipation for each the governmental prisoners suffering nether the brutal Lukashenka regime," European Union main Ursula von der Leyen said connected X.
"Europe continues to telephone for their contiguous release," she added.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski expressed his "sincerest joy," portion Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called Tikhanovsky's state a "much awaited and agelong overdue moment."
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul welcomed Tikhanovsky's merchandise arsenic "fantastically bully news," successful a station to X.
"At the aforesaid time, we indispensable not hide the galore different prisoners successful Belarus. Lukashenko indispensable yet merchandise them," helium added.
Pavel Latushko, a erstwhile civilization curate successful Belarus who supported the 2020 protests against Lukashenko, besides hailed Tikhanovsky's merchandise arsenic an "important moment".
Tikhanovsky, 46, had been imprisoned for much than 5 years.
The fashionable Youtuber had planned to tally against Lukashenko successful the August 2020 statesmanlike election, but was arrested and detained weeks earlier the vote.
He was sentenced successful 2021 to 18 years successful situation for "organizing riots" and "inciting hatred," past to different 18 months for "insubordination."
Svetlana — a governmental novice astatine the clip of her husband's apprehension — ran against Lukashenko successful his spot but mislaid aft what the absorption described arsenic wide falsification. She aboriginal fled Belarus.
"It's hard to picture the joyousness successful my heart," she said successful a station connected X pursuing her husband's release.
Among the 13 others freed were Radio Liberty writer Ihar Karnei, arrested successful 2023 and jailed for participating successful an "extremist" organization.
Belarusian writer and released governmental captive Ihar Karnei is pictured successful Vilnius connected June 21, 2025. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said connected June 21, 2025, that 14 freed governmental prisoners, including Belarus absorption person Sergei Tikhanovsky, were "safe successful Lithuania" and "receiving due care."
ANDREI SHAULIUHA/AFP via Getty Images
They person present been transferred from Belarus to Lithuania, wherever they were receiving "proper care," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said.
Though nary of the released prisoners needed exigency aesculapian assistance, "one of them needed exigency aesculapian attention" arsenic "they were imprisoned successful hard conditions," Budrys told the LRT nationalist broadcaster, without elaborating.
Swedish-Belarusian national Galina Krasnyanskaya, arrested successful 2023 for allegedly supporting Ukraine, was besides freed, said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed each genuine absorption parties. It is the lone European state to clasp the decease punishment arsenic a punishment.
The eastbound European state inactive holds much than 1,000 governmental prisoners successful its jails, according to Belarusian quality rights radical Viasna.
Since taking office, Mr. Trump has engaged successful nonstop talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ending his predecessor's argumentation of isolating the Russian president.
The 2 atomic powers person since worked to normalize diplomatic ties, which person for years lingered astatine their lowest constituent since the Cold War.
In February, a U.S. national who had been detained successful Belarus was 1 of 3 prisoners freed into U.S. custody. Chris Smith, lawman adjunct caput for Eastern Europe, said astatine the clip that the woody was negotiated by Belarusian authorities and signaled a tendency by Lukashenko to person a stronger narration with the U.S.
And successful January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Belarus had "unilaterally" freed an American pistillate from detention.
Tikhanovsky was for years held incommunicado, and successful 2023 his woman was told that helium had "died."
In a video published by Viasna connected Saturday, helium appeared astir unrecognizable, his caput shaven and look emaciated.
A charismatic activist, Tikhanovsky drew the ire of authorities for describing Lukashenko arsenic a "cockroach" and his run slogan was "Stop the cockroach."
Lukashenko claimed a landslide triumph successful the 2020 election, a effect that sparked monolithic absorption protests which authorities violently suppressed.
The Belarusian autocrat claimed a grounds seventh word successful elections earlier this twelvemonth that observers dismissed arsenic a farce.
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