Belarus Releases 14 Dissidents After U.S. Envoy Visit

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Belarus Releases 14 Dissidents After U.S. Envoy Visit \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Belarus freed prominent dissident Siarhei Tsikhanouski and 13 others following a high-level U.S. diplomatic meeting in Minsk. The move came shortly after Belarusian President Lukashenko hosted U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg, signaling possible thaw in relations. Despite the release, over 1,100 political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, remain detained.

Quick Looks

High-profile release: Tsikhanouski, exiled opposition leader’s husband, arrives in Lithuania.
U.S. envoy visit: Keith Kellogg became highest-ranking official in years to meet Lukashenko.
Emotional reunion: Video shows dissident reunited with wife Sviatlana in Vilnius.
Mixed nationalities: Among freed are Japan, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, U.S. citizens.
Media liberation: RFE/RL journalist Ihar Karnei also released after solitary confinement.
Ongoing repression: Over 1,100 political prisoners still behind bars in Belarus.
Opposition stalwarts incarcerated: Nobel laureate Bialiatski, Viktor Babaryka, Maria Kolesnikova remain jailed.
Diplomatic stakes: Analysts see release as effort to ease Western sanctions and isolation.

Deep Look

Siarhei Tsikhanouski Freed After Four Years as Belarus Signals Diplomatic Shift

In a stunning turn of events with significant geopolitical implications, Belarus on Saturday released 14 political prisoners—including prominent dissident Siarhei Tsikhanouski—following a landmark visit by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg to Minsk. This marks one of the most dramatic gestures from President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime in years, signaling what many believe to be a calculated move to soften international sanctions and reduce dependence on Russia amid growing domestic and international pressure.

A Long-Awaited Reunion for the Opposition’s Symbolic Couple

Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s release comes nearly four years after his arrest in 2020, when he had announced plans to challenge Lukashenko’s quarter-century rule. With his slogan “Stop the cockroach,” Tsikhanouski, a popular YouTube blogger, quickly galvanized mass support. But his arrest ahead of the presidential campaign paved the way for his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to emerge as the leading opposition figure, eventually running in his stead.

Following his release, a visibly emaciated but smiling Tsikhanouski arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he embraced his wife in a widely circulated video that captured the emotional magnitude of the moment. “My husband is free. It’s difficult to describe the joy in my heart,” Tsikhanouskaya said. “But our work is not finished while over 1,100 political prisoners remain.”

The Diplomatic Domino Behind the Release

The release occurred shortly after Lukashenko hosted Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy for Ukraine, at his presidential residence. Kellogg’s arrival made him the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Belarus in years, marking a potential thaw in U.S.–Belarus relations strained since the 2020 elections and further exacerbated by Belarus’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In what appeared to be a carefully choreographed diplomatic message, Lukashenko warmly embraced Kellogg, calling for a “sincere and open” conversation. Just hours later, his press secretary, Natalya Eismont, told Russian media that the release was a direct response to a personal request from Trump. Among the freed were citizens of the United States, Japan, Poland, Latvia, Sweden, and Estonia.

Lukashenko’s Strategy: Loosen Moscow’s Grip?

Political analysts believe this move was far from altruistic. Valery Karbalevich, a Belarusian political analyst, noted that the gesture is part of a broader campaign by Lukashenko to “get out of international isolation” and “loosen the knot” of dependency on the Kremlin. Since 2024, Lukashenko has pardoned nearly 300 prisoners, including U.S. citizens, in what many see as an overture to the West.

Though Belarus has served as a crucial logistical hub for Russian troops and weapons en route to Ukraine—and is currently hosting Russian nuclear weapons—Lukashenko’s outreach may suggest a desire to rebalance ties and reduce geopolitical risk. Whether this will be enough to ease U.S. and EU sanctions remains to be seen.

Journalists and Activists Among Those Freed

Among those released was journalist Ihar Karnei, a longtime correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Detained in 2023 and labeled an “extremist,” Karnei spent six months in solitary confinement. Speaking to the AP, Karnei said he was stunned by the release: “Most people suffer simply for their beliefs and do not deserve these terrible conditions and terms.” RFE/RL CEO Stephen Capus credited Trump and U.S. diplomats for Karnei’s release, calling him a “brave journalist” targeted for his commitment to truth.

Another released detainee, Estonian national Allan Roio, had been imprisoned for six and a half years for creating a nonprofit to support Belarusian refugees. His release was confirmed by Estonia’s foreign ministry.

Who’s Still Behind Bars?

Despite the optimistic optics, key opposition figures remain jailed. Among them is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, who is serving a 10-year sentence on politically motivated charges. Bialiatski, founder of Viasna Human Rights Centre, was arrested during a KGB raid in 2021 and has reportedly suffered declining health while imprisoned in Gorki, a facility notorious for forced labor and violence.

Other high-profile detainees include:

Viktor Babaryka: Former banker and 2020 presidential frontrunner.
Maria Kolesnikova: The charismatic face of the 2020 protests, famously tore up her passport to avoid forced exile.

These figures symbolize Belarus’s enduring resistance, and their continued detention underscores the limits of Lukashenko’s current concessions.

Media, Rights, and Repression Continue

Belarus remains Europe’s top jailer of journalists, with at least 40 in custody, according to the Belarusian Association of Journalists. Working with or even reposting content from “extremist” organizations like RFE/RL is now a criminal offense. Activists warn that arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances, and lack of legal access remain widespread.

Internet shutdowns, like the one ongoing during these releases, further isolate citizens from real-time information and silence internal dissent. Advocacy groups such as NetBlocks.org have confirmed repeated collapses in internet service, framing it as a deliberate tactic of digital authoritarianism.

Conclusion: Gesture or Turning Point?

The release of Tsikhanouski and others is undeniably significant—both symbolically and diplomatically—but it does not yet represent systemic change. While it may signal Lukashenko’s desire to break from total Russian alignment and reengage with the West, meaningful progress will depend on what comes next: further releases, open dialogue, and reforms—or a return to repression.

For the international community, the coming weeks will be critical in gauging whether this is the start of Belarus’s return from isolation or merely a calculated maneuver to buy political time.