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June 21, 2025 – Belarus –
Belarus has unexpectedly released several high-profile political prisoners, including opposition leader Sergei Tsikhanouski and journalist Iryna Karnye, in what observers are calling a rare gesture from the Lukashenko regime. Their release, confirmed on June 24, 2025, comes after years of international condemnation of Belarus’s human rights abuses and suppression of dissent.
Sergei Tsikhanouski, a popular video blogger turned political activist, was arrested in May 2020 while attempting to run against President Alexander Lukashenko. His arrest barred him from the election, prompting his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, to run in his place. She later emerged as the face of the Belarusian opposition after the disputed 2020 election. Tsikhanouski was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges widely considered politically motivated.
Also released was Iryna Karnye, a journalist known for her critical coverage of the government and her reporting on civil protests. Karnye had been detained amid the 2020–2021 crackdown on media and protestors. Her release signals a potential easing of restrictions on journalists, though many remain imprisoned or exiled.
The Belarusian government has not offered a clear explanation for the releases. Some analysts believe the move may be aimed at softening international criticism and possibly opening channels for negotiations with Western governments. The European Union and the United States have long sanctioned Belarusian officials over political repression, and this move may be a strategic bid to ease those pressures.
While international human rights groups cautiously welcomed the release, they emphasized that many political prisoners remain behind bars and that systemic reforms are still urgently needed. Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya called the development a “light in the darkness,” but urged continued pressure on the regime to free all detainees and restore democratic norms.
Whether this signals genuine reform or is a calculated gesture to placate critics remains uncertain. Nonetheless, the return of Tsikhanouski and Karnye to their families marks a significant emotional victory for Belarus’s embattled opposition and advocates for press freedom.
Reference –
https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-jailed-opposition-leader-tsikhanouski-released/a-72995786
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sergei-tikhanovsky-belarus-jailed-opposition-leader-freed/
