Belarus releases three detainees including journalist and US citizen News
Mtaylor848, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Belarus releases three detainees including journalist and US citizen

Belarus released on Wednesday three individuals who had been imprisoned for over three years, including an American citizen and a journalist, according to US officials.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release of the American citizen, emphasizing the Trump administration’s commitment to securing the freedom of unlawfully detained Americans. Rubio expressed gratitude to Lithuania for its support in the process. The Secretary of State also mentioned, “We remain committed to the release of other US citizens in Belarus and elsewhere. We call for the release of nearly 1,300 political prisoners who remain in jail across Belarus.” The freed American citizen has not been publicly identified. This marks the second American released from overseas detention in the past 24 hours and the eleventh since President Trump took office.

Among those released were also Andrey Kuznechyk, a journalist affiliated with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Alena Mavshuk.

According to RFE/RL, Kuznechyk was initially detained on November 25, 2021, after being followed home by unidentified security agents. He was first sentenced to a 10-day jail term on hooliganism charges, which he denied. Instead of being released, he was later charged with forming an extremist group—a charge that was not immediately disclosed to his family or colleagues. On June 8, 2022, a regional court in Mahilyou sentenced him to six years in prison after a one-day trial. RFE/RL President Stephen Capus welcomed Kuznechyk’s release.

The release of Alena Mavshuk was confirmed by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on X. Mavshuk had been detained on August 10, 2020, amid the controversial Belarusian elections. Authorities accused her of attacking police officers with a stick during mass protests. Her family was unaware of her whereabouts for four days until a former cellmate informed them that she had been detained under harsh conditions. Labeled by authorities as a security threat, Mavshuk was stripped of her parental rights. She was sentenced on April 30, 2021, to six years in a general-security colony.

Cases of arbitrary detentions continue in Belarus, as organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International urge the release of imprisoned individuals and journalists. 

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