The unexpected release of Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, from prison in Belarus has brought hope to many. This development coincided with a visit from US special envoy Keith Kellogg to Minsk, where he met with the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Reports indicate that a total of at least 10 prisoners, including former RFE journalist Ihar Karnei, have been freed. Sergei Tikhanovsky has been relocated to Lithuania and is now reunited with his wife, who is living in exile in Vilnius.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya shared images on social media of her and her husband interacting with other released prisoners in Vilnius. The couple appeared joyful, with Tikhanovsky noticeably having lost weight during his time in custody.

In a statement expressing her gratitude, Tikhanovskaya thanked Donald Trump, Keith Kellogg, and European allies for their efforts in securing her husband's release. She emphasized that there are still 1150 political prisoners in Belarus who need to be freed.

Among the recently released prisoners are individuals from Belarus, Japan, Poland, and Sweden. The Lithuanian foreign minister confirmed that the 14 political prisoners are now under care in Lithuania. However, Maria Kolesnikova, another prominent opposition figure who was arrested following the 2020 protests, remains in detention.

Tikhanovskaya entered the August 2020 elections after her husband, a former blogger and presidential candidate, was imprisoned. Despite facing challenges, she claimed victory in the polls, which were marred by allegations of rigging. Forced into exile with her children, Tikhanovskaya has continued to lead the resistance against Lukashenko's regime, which has been in power for nearly three decades.

Since the violent crackdown on opposition protests in 2020, hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have fled the country. The human rights group Viasna reports that tens of thousands of individuals have been arrested in Belarus over the past five years for political reasons.