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Tichanovsky freed after years of imprisonment: hope for Belarus' opposition!
Sergei Tsikhanovsky, Belarusian opposition politician, was released after years in prison. Background and reactions.
Tichanovsky freed after years of imprisonment: hope for Belarus' opposition!
Good news from Belarus: Opposition politician Sergei Tichanowski was recently released after years of imprisonment. His release, which took place as part of a comprehensive pardon operation, was justified on humanitarian grounds to enable him to be reunited with his family, said press spokeswoman Natalja Ejsmont. Along with Tichanowski, a total of 14 detainees were released at the urging of US President Donald Trump, reports Radiowuppertal.
Sergei Tichanovsky is 46 years old and ran against the authoritarian incumbent Alexander Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential elections. His arrest came shortly after his candidacy was announced. In December 2021, he was finally sentenced to 18 years in prison for allegedly organizing mass riots. This information was also provided by DW confirmed.
Tichanowskaya and the family
Wife Svetlana Tichanowskaya, who fled into exile after her husband's arrest and ran as a presidential candidate against Lukashenko, expressed herself overjoyed in a video. She thanked the U.S. and European allies for support and celebrated the return of her husband, who is currently in Vilnius, Lithuania. However, the joy is overshadowed by the serious reality that, according to current reports, around 1,150 political prisoners are still incarcerated in Belarus.
The release of Tichanowski and the other detainees comes in the context of a visit to Minsk by US special representative Keith Kellogg. Kellogg negotiated a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict as well as bilateral relations between the USA and Belarus. Lukashenko, considered a close ally of Vladimir Putin, is trying to find a balance between East and West, making the geopolitical situation even more complex.
Let's look to the future
The Belarusian president's previous pardon action, which included several opposition figures, did not fundamentally change the political climate in Belarus. According to information from daily news There are still over 1,300 political prisoners and the pressure on Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, remains. Behind the apparent gesture of humanity there could be hope for a better relationship with the international community.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson have also drawn attention to the need for a full release of all political prisoners. In a Europe marked by political unrest, the question remains whether the current changes in Belarusian politics are a step in the right direction or just another chapter in a long history of oppression and resistance.