US EditionBelarus opposition leader released from jail in US-brokered deal
- Belarus opposition leader Sergei Tikhanouski was released from prison on Saturday, 21 June 2025, after receiving a presidential pardon.
- Tikhanouski had been jailed since 2021, sentenced to 18 years for organizing riots and inciting hatred, with an additional 18-month sentence in 2023.
- His release was part of a US-brokered deal involving US envoy Keith Kellogg and President Lukashenko amid rising international pressure.
- Fourteen political prisoners were freed in total, and Tikhanouski’s wife, Sviatlana Tikhanovskaya, posted a video captioned 'FREE' expressing joy while noting 1,150 detainees remain jailed.
- Tikhanouski relocated to Vilnius, Lithuania, and the release signals Lukashenko’s attempt to ease Western tensions before the January 2025 elections, though many political prisoners remain behind bars.
185 Articles
185 Articles
Belarus and the United States are considering the possibility of full normalization of relations, the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations, Valentin Rybakov, said today.
Sergei Tichanovsky was released on Saturday after long imprisonment and deported from the authoritarian-led ex-Soviet republic. "We are determined to continue the struggle," says his wife.
The Belarusian leader releases political prisoners after a meeting with Trump's special envoy. The most prominent freed now puts his hopes on the American president.
Belarus Opposition Figure Urges Continued Fight for Political Prisoners
A leading Belarusian opposition figure freed from prison by President Alexander Lukashenko said on Sunday his wife would continue to lead the exiled movement, and urged supporters to keep fighting for change and the release of political prisoners.
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