Politics Amnesty in Belarus around the visit of the US special envoy
According to media reports, 14 political prisoners have been released from custody in the authoritarian former Soviet republic of Belarus. Among those released is the husband of exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Sergei Tikhanovsky, reported the independent internet portal "Nasha Niva". According to the report, Tikhanovsky has already left the country. Another prominent person released is the journalist Igor Karnej. According to the internet portal, the amnesty is linked to the visit by US special envoy Keith Kellogg.
21.06.2025, 17:49
SDA
Tikhanovskaya later confirmed her husband's release on the social network X. "My husband is free. It's hard to describe the joy in my heart," she wrote. She thanked the USA and the EU for their efforts to secure his release.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed his thanks to US President Donald Trump and Kellogg on X. In addition to Tikhanovsky, a Swedish citizen, Galina Krasnyanskaya, was among those released, he wrote. The pressure on Belarus must be maintained until all political prisoners have been released.
Kellogg had previously visited the ruler of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko. The talks focused on a peaceful solution to Russia's war in Ukraine, but also on bilateral relations between the USA and Belarus. Lukashenko had himself declared the winner of controversial elections in 2020. He had opposition protests, which saw Tikhanovskaya as the winner, bloodily crushed at the time.
