Belarusian opposition activist Siarhei Tsikhanouski, previously sentenced to 18 years in prison, has been released.
According to Report, citing the publication Nasha Niva, Tsikhanouski has already left Belarus, though his destination has not been disclosed. Media sources also say that a total of 14 Belarusian opposition figures were released today.
The release comes amid a meeting between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Donald Trump's special envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. The meeting took place at the Independence Palace in Minsk. Kellogg is the highest-ranking US official to visit Belarus in recent years.
Tsikhanouski was arrested on May 29, 2020, and on December 14, 2021, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison on charges including organizing mass riots, inciting social hatred, obstructing the work of the Central Election Commission, and organizing actions that grossly violate public order.
His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, ran as a presidential candidate in the 2020 Belarusian elections.