Belarus frees 14 inmates throughout visit of Trump’s envoy

(MENAFN) Belarus has freed 14 prisoners, including well-known opposition figure Sergey Tikhanovsky, following a visit from US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg. After holding six-and-a-half hours of talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, the releases were swiftly carried out, with Tikhanovsky immediately departing for Lithuania.

The discussions reportedly focused on US-Belarus relations and broader international issues, according to Lukashenko’s office. Lukashenko remarked to Kellogg that there was no reason the two nations couldn’t engage in straightforward dialogue.

The release was first confirmed by John Coale, Kellogg’s deputy, who credited Trump’s leadership for securing the prisoners’ freedom. Coale also thanked Lithuania for its cooperation in receiving the freed individuals. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys confirmed their arrival and acknowledged the US role as pivotal.

Lukashenko’s press secretary, Natalya Eismont, said the prisoners were pardoned at Trump’s request on “humanitarian grounds” to allow family reunifications.

Among those freed was opposition blogger Sergey Tikhanovsky, whose wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya – a Western-backed opposition figure who claims to be Belarus’ rightful leader – celebrated their reunion online. Tikhanovsky had been sentenced to 18 years in prison for organizing mass unrest after being barred from running in the disputed 2020 presidential election, in which his wife replaced him on the ballot.

No full list of the released individuals has been made public, and it remains unclear if Belarus received concessions in exchange. Belarus indicated that the released group included foreign nationals: three Polish citizens, two Latvians, two Japanese, and individuals from Estonia, Sweden, and the US.

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