Belarus frees opposition leader after visit by US envoy

Several figures in the Belarusian opposition, including opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski, were freed from jail on Saturday under a deal brokered U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg.

Tsikhanouski’s wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the opposition activist who stood in the 2020 Belarusian elections after the arrest of her husband, posted a video on X on Saturday showing her embracing Tsikhanouski and thanking U.S. authorities.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned a number of prisoners after meeting with Kellogg earlier in the week, according to media reports. Tsikhanouvski was an influential blogger before becoming the leading opposition candidate challenging Lukashenko in the 2020 elections. He had been in jail since May 2020.

Tsikhanovski’s arrest provoked widespread protests in Belarus, which didn’t, however, result in the ouster of its strongman leader. The opposition leader’s wife, Tsikhanouskaya, was forced into exile to Lithuania after Lukashenko declared himself the winner in the contested 2020 elections.

The release of Tsikhanouski “is a step toward freedom for all of Belarus,” Tsikhanouskaya told POLITICO. “I am deeply grateful for the incredible support we received,” she said.

“I want to thank President Trump, the U.S. State Department, and General Kellogg. And, of course, Lithuania and all EU countries — without your help, this wouldn’t have been possible,” Tsikhanouskaya said.

Russian media outlet RBC named journalist Igor Karney and Minsk academic Natalia Dulina among the other freed prisoners.

Kellogg’s trip to Belarus was organized with the aim of freeing prisoners, as well as nudging the country closer to the West in a bid to improve the atmosphere to one that is more conducive for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed reporting.