Belarus Frees Key Dissidents Amid US Diplomatic Inroads
Siarhei Tsikhanouski, husband of exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, was released in Belarus along with 13 other political prisoners following a US diplomatic visit. Despite this, significant dissident figures, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, remain jailed under controversial charges, highlighting ongoing political tensions in Belarus.
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Siarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, has been released alongside 13 other political prisoners. The announcement followed a diplomatic visit by a senior US official to Belarus, according to Tsikhanouskaya's team on Saturday.
Tsikhanouski, a popular blogger and activist, had been imprisoned since 2020 but was freed just hours after a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and US envoy Keith Kellogg in Minsk. He is now in Vilnius, Lithuania, after his release.
Although this development brings hope, many high-profile dissidents, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, remain imprisoned under politically charged accusations. The release serves as a reminder of Belarus' ongoing struggle with political repression, amidst attempts to improve Western relations.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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