Exclusive: Belarus releases political prisoners, including opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski

Belarus has released a group of governmental prisoners connected Saturday, successful a US-brokered woody pinch President Aliaksandr Lukashenka, Belarusian guidance sources told Euronews.

Exiled Belarus guidance leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s hubby Siarhei Tsikhanouski is among nan released.

Lukashenka’s authorities arrested him successful 2020 arsenic nan then-Belarusian guidance statesmanlike campaigner and Lukashenka's nonstop opponent.

The astonishment merchandise was brokered by US envoy Keith Kellogg, a longtime advisor to US President Donald Trump, who travelled to Belarus earlier this week for talks pinch Lukashenka.

Since past year, Lukashenka has been regularly pardoning mini numbers of imprisoned authorities critics successful what analysts saw arsenic a awesome that Minsk was seeking to easiness tensions pinch nan West.

In nan run-up to nan January 2025 statesmanlike elections, Lukashenka has pardoned prisoners convicted of extremism, claiming that it was a "humane gesture" toward those who had "gone astray".

Kellogg, US typical envoy for Russia’s warfare against Ukraine, has said privately that nan travel to Minsk could thief kickstart bid talks aimed astatine ending Russia's full-scale penetration of Ukraine, according to 2 of nan sources.

Earlier, exiled guidance leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews that Lukashenka "cannot beryllium trusted” and Belarus is not a spot for negotiations because Lukashenka "is portion of this war".

Lukashenka is simply a cardinal state of Russian President Vladimir Putin and has allowed him to shape portion of his full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022 from Belarus.

"He's a co-aggressor and he's serving Putin's interest, and he cannot beryllium trusted astatine all," Tsikhanouskaya told Euronews.

She described Russia's warfare successful Ukraine arsenic a blessing for Lukashenka and that he did not want it to stop.

"(The government) is producing a immense magnitude of worldly for Russian army, and successful this ambiance of sanctions against Lukashenka's regime, it's a bully root of income for him," she added.

Who is Siarhei Tsikanouski?

Previously a celebrated blogger, Siarhei Tsikhanouski decided to tally against Lukashenka successful nan 2020 statesmanlike elections and was arrested successful spring, agelong earlier nan summertime protests successful Belarus.

Tsikhanouski was first given “administrative detention” which prevented him from filing his candidacy earlier nan deadline. His woman Tsikhanouskaya revenge her candidacy instead, emerging arsenic a starring guidance candidate.

A Minsk tribunal sentenced Tsikhanouski to 18 years successful situation pinch nan harshest imaginable conditions. He has not been allowed family visits and telephone calls. He has besides not been allowed to meet pinch his lawyer confidentially, read, nonstop letters, aliases person letters and parcels.

In 2023 he was fixed a caller condemnation of 1.5 years successful situation successful summation to nan 18-year condemnation he was already serving connected nan complaint of “disobedience to situation administration”.

Tsikhanouskaya had nary interaction pinch her hubby since he was jailed. She antecedently told Euronews that she did not cognize if he was alive. 

“My children constitute letters to him, but they get nary response. They inquire if their begetter is okay, if he is still alive—it’s an incredibly achy situation. My husband’s imprisonment is my individual pain, but my extremity is to free each governmental prisoners,” nan Belarusian guidance leader said in an earlier question and reply with Euronews.**

Lukashenka claimed triumph successful the 2020 presidential election deemed fraudulent by nan EU and outer observers, triggering wide protests. 

They were violently crushed by police, pinch tens of thousands of serene protesters arrested, and countless detainees suffering torture and different ill-treatment.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya went into exile for fearfulness of prosecution. Many of her adjacent associates, including her closest companion during nan predetermination campaign, Maryia Kalesnikava, were jailed.

According to nan Belarusian quality authorities centre Vyasna, complete 50,000 group person been detained connected governmental grounds aft wide protests collapsed retired pursuing Lukashenka's 2020 statesmanlike predetermination win, and astatine slightest 5,472 group person been convicted successful politically-motivated criminal cases.

The United Nations estimates that astir 300,000 Belarusians person near nan state since then, pinch astir going to Poland and Lithuania.

Even today, betwixt 15 and 20 group are being detained successful Belarus each day.

In 2023, Tsikhanouskaya was sentenced to 15 years successful prison.