Belarus opposition leader's husband urges Trump to help free other prisoners

Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of Belarus' opposition leader, has called on US President Donald Trump to "just say the word" and ask for all political prisoners in Belarus to be released.The opposition activist was freed unexpectedly on Saturday and reunited with his wife in Lithuania. Thirteen other political prisoners were also released and forced into exile.The move came as US special envoy Keith Kellogg travelled to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, and met the country's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.It was the first high-profile American visit in many years.
In an emotional press conference the day after his release, Tikhanovsky broke down in tears as he described his five years in solitary confinement and called for the freedom of more than 1,000 political prisoners still behind bars.He was arrested in 2020 as he planned to run for president against Lukashenko in that summer's elections. He was jailed for 18 years in 2021 after a court convicted him of rallying mass protests against Lukashenko, among other politically motivated charges.As a prominent opposition figure, Tikhanovsky said he had been held in what he described as the "strictest possible regime", cut off from all contact with the outside world."You don't even get letters, not a single call. For five years, I couldn't even go to confession with a priest. No letters, no calls, no priest, no lawyer," he said. Then he began to sob."It's a nightmare," he said. "You ask about torture. Is that not torture? Murderers get to watch TV in prison, they have everything. But I didn't even get letters. Or soap. Or a toothbrush."He has barely spoken to anyone but prison guards for years and on Sunday sometimes struggled for words."How can they do that? You [the regime] consider us criminals. But we have rights," he said."It's inhuman. It's a nightmare. They have to stop this. We have to get people out."He called on the US president for more help."Trump has such power and such possibilities, that with one word he could free all political prisoners. I ask him to say that word now," he added.
His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, wiped away her own tears as he spoke. Earlier she had called him her "personal hero".She also described how their daughter hadn't recognised her father because he had changed so much in prison and lost a lot of weight.She said Lukashenko had received only one thing from the US administration in return for the prisoner release on Saturday - the visit from US envoy Kellogg.He can present that as a diplomatic breakthrough after years of political isolation for the repression of domestic dissent and for his support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.But Tikhanovsky said what Belarus wants most is the removal of US sanctions.Before his arrest, Tikhanovsky was a colourful, outspoken figure who had a big following in Belarus on social media.The video blogger and activist used to call on people to "stop the cockroach", referring to Lukashenko, and would tour the country to meet people in town squares and villages to hear their concerns.After his arrest in 2020, his wife stepped in to run for president in his place in the August elections.When Lukashenko declared another landslide win, her supporters flooded the streets in the biggest protests Belarus has ever known.They were ruthlessly crushed, and Tikhanovskaya was forced to flee the country."The leader of the opposition is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, my wife, and I don't make any claim to anything," Tikhanovsky clarified on Sunday, insisting that he had no intention of taking over leadership of the Belarusian opposition abroad.Earlier, he had raised a fist of defiance."I want to say to all Belarusians - if you were waiting for a symbol, this is it," he said, urging them to stand up to Lukashenko.He said he regretted nothing he had done - despite the treatment he received as a result.But he added his release from prison had saved his life, because he would not have survived his full sentence behind bars in such conditions.Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians are estimated to have left their country since the brutal crackdown on widespread opposition protests in 2020.Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in the country in the past five years for political reasons, according to human rights group Viasna.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Times

an hour ago

• Times

Belarus opposition leader released early after five years

After her political activist husband was arrested, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya found herself thrust into the limelight, taking his place as a leading opponent of the autocratic regime of Belarus. Sergei Tikhanovsky was detained in May 2020 after announcing a plan to run against the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in the election that year. For five years, largely spent in exile, Tikhanovskaya became the face of the country's opposition while her husband sat in prison. On Saturday he was released unexpectedly and husband and wife were reunited. Tikhanovskaya shared a video on social media of her hugging her husband joyfully as onlookers clapped. She described it as a victory for Belarusian political prisoners and urged the international community to maintain pressure on Lukashenko's government to release more than 1,100 remaining political detainees.

BBC News

4 hours ago

• BBC News

Belarus opposition leader's husband urges Trump to help free other prisoners

Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of Belarus' opposition leader, has called on US President Donald Trump to "just say the word" and ask for all political prisoners in Belarus to be opposition activist was freed unexpectedly on Saturday and reunited with his wife in Lithuania. Thirteen other political prisoners were also released and forced into move came as US special envoy Keith Kellogg travelled to Minsk, the Belarusian capital, and met the country's authoritarian leader Alexander was the first high-profile American visit in many years. In an emotional press conference the day after his release, Tikhanovsky broke down in tears as he described his five years in solitary confinement and called for the freedom of more than 1,000 political prisoners still behind was arrested in 2020 as he planned to run for president against Lukashenko in that summer's elections. He was jailed for 18 years in 2021 after a court convicted him of rallying mass protests against Lukashenko, among other politically motivated a prominent opposition figure, Tikhanovsky said he had been held in what he described as the "strictest possible regime", cut off from all contact with the outside world."You don't even get letters, not a single call. For five years, I couldn't even go to confession with a priest. No letters, no calls, no priest, no lawyer," he said. Then he began to sob."It's a nightmare," he said. "You ask about torture. Is that not torture? Murderers get to watch TV in prison, they have everything. But I didn't even get letters. Or soap. Or a toothbrush."He has barely spoken to anyone but prison guards for years and on Sunday sometimes struggled for words."How can they do that? You [the regime] consider us criminals. But we have rights," he said."It's inhuman. It's a nightmare. They have to stop this. We have to get people out."He called on the US president for more help."Trump has such power and such possibilities, that with one word he could free all political prisoners. I ask him to say that word now," he added. His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, wiped away her own tears as he spoke. Earlier she had called him her "personal hero".She also described how their daughter hadn't recognised her father because he had changed so much in prison and lost a lot of said Lukashenko had received only one thing from the US administration in return for the prisoner release on Saturday - the visit from US envoy can present that as a diplomatic breakthrough after years of political isolation for the repression of domestic dissent and for his support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Tikhanovsky said what Belarus wants most is the removal of US his arrest, Tikhanovsky was a colourful, outspoken figure who had a big following in Belarus on social video blogger and activist used to call on people to "stop the cockroach", referring to Lukashenko, and would tour the country to meet people in town squares and villages to hear their his arrest in 2020, his wife stepped in to run for president in his place in the August Lukashenko declared another landslide win, her supporters flooded the streets in the biggest protests Belarus has ever were ruthlessly crushed, and Tikhanovskaya was forced to flee the country."The leader of the opposition is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, my wife, and I don't make any claim to anything," Tikhanovsky clarified on Sunday, insisting that he had no intention of taking over leadership of the Belarusian opposition he had raised a fist of defiance."I want to say to all Belarusians - if you were waiting for a symbol, this is it," he said, urging them to stand up to said he regretted nothing he had done - despite the treatment he received as a he added his release from prison had saved his life, because he would not have survived his full sentence behind bars in such of thousands of Belarusians are estimated to have left their country since the brutal crackdown on widespread opposition protests in of thousands of people have been arrested in the country in the past five years for political reasons, according to human rights group Viasna.

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Iran strikes back: Foreign minister brands Trump a 'lawless bully' who 'betrayed diplomacy' after US blew up three nuclear bases in overnight strike

Iran 's foreign minister has branded Donald Trump a 'lawless bully' who 'betrayed' diplomacy after the US blew up three nuclear bases overnight - as he warned the world is facing an 'unprecedented level of danger'. In a press conference after the strikes, US President Trump said he had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear weapons programme, and warned of the possibility of more attacks to come. In return, Iran targeted Israel in a set of attacks this morning - with emergency services reporting at least 16 people are injured, including a young man with shrapnel wounds to his upper body. The US will be braced for Iranian attacks on its forces in the region. Iran foreign minister Abbas Araghchi furiously condemned the US strikes during a press conference today, in which he attacked Trump and threatened to act on the attack. 'Humanity has come too far as a species to allow a lawless bully to take us back to the law of the jungle,' he said. Araghchi added that 'urgent and decisive action' must now be taken, warning that 'silence' will 'plunge the world into an unprecedented level of danger'. Digital billboards display a message thanking US President Donald Trump for his administration's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites Top US officials urged Iran to surrender today after strikes on the nation's nuclear sites 'severely damaged' its nuclear capabilities overnight. Trump broke his two-week deadline on Saturday night as he launched 'Operation Midnight Hammer', sending a fleet of B-2 bombers to key nuclear sites. The US strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a morning press conference that the strikes were 'bold' and 'brilliant', and warned Iran that there would be dire consequences if it does not come to the negotiating table. Officials admitted that the strikes on the Fordow site, a deep underground nuclear enrichment facility, may not have been entirely destroyed in the operation, but described it as significantly damaged. A view shows damage to buildings and vehicles after a missile fired by Iran, in retaliation for Israeli attacks, struck the city of Ness Ziona, near Tel Aviv The press conference came as world leaders condemned Trump's decision to wade into the conflict, with Chinese President Xi Jinping saying Trump 'violated international peace'. Iran's foreign minister branded Trump a 'lawless bully' who 'betrayed' diplomacy after the US blew up three nuclear bases. Early this morning, Iran retaliated by targeting Israel in a devastating set of attacks - with emergency services reporting more than a dozen people injured. Horrific photos showed entire buildings obliterated while cars were crushed by debris and residents forced to evacuate their homes.