Trump envoy Kellogg meets Lukashenko, Belarus frees over a dozen prisoners including husband of opposition leader
On Saturday, Belarusian President Lukashenko released more than a dozen prisoners, including the husband of Belarusian opposition leader Tikhanovskaya, after meeting with Trump's envoy Kellogg in Minsk.
The Belarusian Human Rights Center Viasna said on the Telegram platform that 14 prisoners, including Tikhanovskaya's husband Tikhanovsky who is in exile, have been freed.
Tikhanovsky, a popular video blogger before being arrested by Belarusian authorities, had announced his intention to run against Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election but was soon detained. His wife, Tikhanovskaya, ran in his place and became Lukashenko's main rival in the election, triggering massive support waves and unprecedented protests against the claim that Lukashenko won the election.
Tikhanovskaya uploaded a video of her reunion with her husband in Lithuania via the X platform on Saturday and said, "My husband Sergey is free! My joy is indescribable." She thanked Kellogg, Trump, the U.S. government, and the EU for their efforts. Tikhanovskaya added, "We are not done yet. There are still 1,150 political prisoners behind bars. They must all be released."
Lukashenko's office has not commented on this matter. Kellogg met with Lukashenko earlier on Saturday, at which time he became the highest-ranking American official to visit Belarus in years. Then-U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo visited Belarus in February 2020, marking the first visit by the highest-level U.S. diplomat since 1993.
Lukashenko said at the beginning of the meeting on Saturday, "Your visit has caused quite a stir worldwide. But I am surprised - can't we just have normal conversations, talk about our affairs, and discuss the relations between Belarus and the United States?" The Belta news agency reported that the agenda included international issues, the overall situation in the world, and the relations between Belarus and the United States.
Lithuania said that five Belarusian nationals were among those released, along with three Poles, two Latvians, two Japanese citizens, and one Swede. Among those released on Saturday were political activists and a journalist. Lukashenko, now 70 years old, has faced various sanctions for nearly a decade. In 2022, due to Minsk's support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. expanded its sanctions against him and re-designated him. Lukashenko remains one of Putin's closest allies.
Source: rfi
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835590735164428/
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