Belarus Frees 14 Political Prisoners, Including Opposition Figure Sergei Tikhanovsky

Fourteen political prisoners have been released in Belarus, among them prominent opposition figure and political blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky — the husband of exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya, Orda.kz reports.

The couple has since reunited in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The release follows a visit to Minsk by Keith Kellogg, special envoy of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kellogg met with Alexander Lukashenko at the Palace of Independence. According to Deputy Envoy John Cole, all 14 detainees “are now free.”

Among those released were also three Polish citizens. Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news and expressed gratitude to the Trump administration and Polish President Andrzej Duda for their involvement.

The individuals’ names have not been made public.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that the freed individuals are now in Lithuania, where they are receiving necessary support.

Sergei Tikhanovsky was arrested in 2020 while planning a presidential run. After his detention, his wife Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya entered the race, becoming a central figure in the Belarusian protest movement. 

In 2021, a Homyel court sentenced him to 18 years in a high-security prison for allegedly organizing mass unrest.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov