Belarusian opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky has been freed from prison following a pardon, according to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna.
His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has taken up the mantle of the opposition following his arrest, posted a video of him beaming and embracing her after his release, captioned: “FREE”.
Mr. Tikhanovsky, aged 46, had spent over five years behind bars.
My husband Siarhei is free! Words can’t capture the joy in my heart.
Thank you, @POTUS, @SPE_Kellogg, @JohnPCoale, DAS Christopher W. Smith, @StateDept & our allies, for your unwavering support.
Our work is not over. 1,150 political prisoners remain incarcerated. All must be liberated. pic.twitter.com/MhngqBHFq3
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) June 21, 2025
He had intended to challenge incumbent Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was apprehended and detained mere weeks before the election.
In 2021, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for “organizing riots” and “inciting hatred,” followed by an additional 18 months for “insubordination.”
Belarus, ruled by Mr. Lukashenko since 1994, has banned all opposition movements and is the sole European country to maintain the death penalty.
Viasna reports that there are over 1,000 political prisoners currently held in the nation.
Ms. Tikhanovskaya noted that U.S. officials played a key role in securing her husband’s release.
“Words cannot convey the joy in my heart,” she stated in a post on X, formerly Twitter, expressing gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg, and European allies.
