Release of Belarusian Opposition Figure Sergey Tikhanovsky and Other Political Prisoners Following US Envoy’s Visit
Release of Belarusian Opposition Figure Sergey Tikhanovsky and Other Political Prisoners Following US Envoy’s Visit
On Saturday, Sergey Tikhanovsky, a prominent Belarusian opposition figure and husband of exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was released from prison and arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania. Accompanying him were 13 other political prisoners.
Tikhanovskaya’s team announced the release, which followed a meeting in Minsk between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Keith Kellogg, the U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine. This marked Kellogg’s first visit to Belarus in years.
A video posted on Tikhanovskaya’s Telegram account showed Tikhanovsky disembarking a vehicle, appearing to be in good spirits. He embraced his wife upon arrival. Tikhanovskaya expressed joy at his release but noted that over 1,100 political prisoners remain in Belarusian jails.
Tikhanovsky was originally arrested in 2020 after announcing his intention to challenge Lukashenko in the presidential election. Following his arrest, his wife ran in his place. The election results, which gave Lukashenko a sixth term, were widely condemned by the opposition and the West as fraudulent. Tikhanovsky was subsequently sentenced to 19 1/2 years in prison on charges of organizing mass riots.
Among the other released prisoners was Ihar Karnei, a longtime correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Karnei had been serving a three-year sentence on extremism charges. RFE/RL confirmed his release and expressed gratitude for his freedom. An Estonian national, Allan Roio, who had been imprisoned for establishing an NGO to aid Belarusian refugees, was also released.
Lukashenko’s press secretary, Natalya Eismont, stated that the release of the 14 prisoners followed a request from President Trump. Eismont also indicated that those released included citizens of various nationalities, including Japan, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and the United States.
Tikhanovsky’s imprisonment stemmed from his participation in the 2020 protests following the disputed election. These protests, the largest in Belarus’s history, resulted in widespread arrests and crackdowns on dissent. Other prominent opposition figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and former banker Viktor Babaryka, remain imprisoned.
The Belarusian government has labeled RFE/RL’s Belarusian service as extremist, making it a criminal offense to work for or disseminate its content. Karnei’s arrest in July 2023 involved a police raid on his apartment, where phones and computers were seized.
While the release of Tikhanovsky and others is significant, it remains unclear what impact, if any, Kellogg’s visit will have on US sanctions against Belarus. The release of these prisoners occurred after Lukashenko had already pardoned nearly 300 people since July 2024, including US citizens.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya publicly thanked President Trump, Envoy Kellogg, and European allies for their efforts in securing her husband’s release, while emphasizing that the work to free the remaining political prisoners continues.
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