Belarus Frees Opposition Leader After U.S. Visit

Belarus has released prominent opposition figure Siarhei (Sergey) Tsikhanouski and 13 other political prisoners following a rare visit by U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg, marking the highest-level U.S. diplomatic engagement with Belarus in years. The releases coincided with Kellogg’s meeting with President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, reportedly encouraged by former President Donald Trump. Tsikhanouski, jailed after his 2020 presidential challenge attempt, was seen reuniting with his wife, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, in Lithuania. Rights groups and Tsikhanouskaya note that over 1,100 political prisoners remain in Belarus. The releases come amid ongoing Western sanctions on Minsk for its crackdown on pro-democracy protests and support of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Lukashenko’s regime continues to face international scrutiny over human rights abuses and close ties to Moscow.