Human rights in Belarus: Amnesty in Belarus about visiting the US special envoy

According to media reports, 14 political prisoners have been released from custody in the authoritarian ex-Soviet Republic of Belarus. Among the released is the husband of the opposition leader Swetlana Tischanowskaja, Sergei Tischanowski, who lives in exile, reported the independent internet portal “Nascha Niwa”. Accordingly, Tachanowski has already traveled from the country. The journalist Igor Karnej is another prominent released person. According to the internet portal, the amnesty is related to visiting the US special envoy Keith Kellogg.

Tachanowskaja later confirmed the release of her husband on the social network X. “My husband is free. It is difficult to describe the joy in my heart,” she wrote. She thanked the United States and the EU for the efforts for the release.

The German Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul called the release Tachanowski on X a “fantastic good news”. At the same time, the many other prisoners in Belarus would not forget. “Lukaschko finally has to release it,” wrote the CDU politician.

The Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson gave a thanks to US President Donald Trump and Kellogg on X. In addition to Tachanowski, among the released people, he also wrote a Swedish citizen, Galina Krasnjanskaja. 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 were about a peaceful solution for Russia’s war in Ukraine, but also about bilateral relationships between the USA and Belarus. Lukaschko had been declared the winner in controversial elections in 2020. The opposition protests that Tachanowskaja saw as the winner at the time he had bloody reflected.