Belarus

Belarus Frees Opposition Leader in US-Brokered Deal

Published JUN 23 2025

Story

Above: Siarhei Tikhanovsky and his wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on June 22, 2025, after the opposition leader was released from prison. Image credit: Yauhen Yerchak/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Facts

Belarusian opposition leader Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released from prison Saturday after more than five years of imprisonment, along with 13 other prisoners, following negotiations between U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg and President Alexander Lukashenko.
RNZ
BBC News
The prisoner release was brokered by Kellogg during his visit to Minsk, marking the highest-profile visit of a U.S. official to Belarus in years, with Lukashenko's spokeswoman stating the pardons were issued in response to a U.S. request.
Reuters
CBS News
US News & World Report
Tsikhanouski, a video blogger who planned to challenge Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election before his arrest, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for "organizing riots" and "inciting hatred," with his wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya running in his place.
France 24
Newsmax
All 14 released prisoners were transferred to Lithuania, where they received care, including five Belarusians, three Poles, two Latvians, two Japanese citizens, one Estonian, and one Swedish citizen, according to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys.
Dw.Com
RNZ
Belarus still holds more than 1,000 political prisoners according to human rights group Viasna, with prominent figures like Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova remaining behind bars.
PBS NewsHour
Kyiv Post

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

This prisoner release represents a significant diplomatic breakthrough that could help jumpstart peace negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine. Lukashenko's willingness to engage with US officials and release high-profile political prisoners demonstrates his desire to improve relations with the West and potentially ease international sanctions. The timing coincides with Trump's broader diplomatic outreach to Putin, suggesting a coordinated effort to normalize relations and create conditions conducive to peace talks.

Barrons

Politico

Narrative B

While the prisoner release is welcome news, it shouldn't obscure the fact that over 1,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Europe's last dictatorship. Lukashenko's gesture appears calculated to gain international legitimacy while maintaining his brutal repression of dissent at home. The regime continues to outlaw all genuine opposition parties and retains the death penalty, making this release more of a tactical move than genuine reform.