Belarus releases Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 other political prisoners after Lukashenko meets with Trump envoy
The Belarusian authorities have released 14 political prisoners, including Siarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, according to the newspaper Nasha Niva.
John Coale, an aide to U.S. presidential envoy Keith Kellogg, announced the release on X.
“President Trump’s strong leadership led to the release of 14 prisoners from Belarus today. Thanks to the Lithuanian government for its cooperation and assistance - they remain a true friend and ally,” Coale wrote.
Nasha Niva reports that Tsikhanouski has already left Belarus. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya shared a video on Telegram showing their reunion in Vilnius.
Earlier on Saturday, Kellogg arrived in Minsk, where he met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Reuters reported that Kellogg viewed the trip as a potential opportunity to revive stalled peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Tsikhanouski rose to prominence in 2019 with his YouTube channel Country for Life, where he criticized the Belarusian government. In 2020, he announced plans to run in the country’s presidential election but was barred from registering. Tsikhanouskaya ran in his place, with her husband serving as her campaign manager. He was arrested later that year at a signature-gathering rally and, in December 2021, sentenced to 18 years in prison.
