In a significant development for Belarusian politics, opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky has been released from prison following a presidential pardon, as confirmed by the Belarusian human rights organization, Viasna.
- Advertisement -
His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has been a formidable advocate for opposition since her husband’s imprisonment, shared a heartwarming video capturing their reunion. In her post, she expressed her elation with the simple yet powerful caption: “FREE.”
Mr. Tikhanovsky, now 46, had spent over five years behind bars.
“My husband Siarhei is free! It’s hard to describe the joy in my heart,” she exclaimed. “Thank you to @POTUS, @SPE_Kellogg, @JohnPCoale, DAS Christopher W. Smith, @StateDept, and our allies for all your efforts. But the fight is not over. We still have 1,150 political prisoners who must be released.”
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) June 21, 2025
Undoubtedly, the stakes were high for Mr. Tikhanovsky, who intended to challenge the long-standing Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential elections. However, his arrest just weeks prior to the elections marked a turning point in Belarus’s political landscape.
In 2021, he was sentenced to an astonishing 18 years in prison for charges including “organizing riots” and “inciting hatred,” and later, an additional 18 months for “insubordination.” Phrases like these reveal the stringent measures used to quell dissent in a country governed by Mr. Lukashenko since 1994, a leader who has outlawed all opposition movements and upheld the death penalty as a punishment—an anomaly in Europe today.
Currently, over 1,000 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus, according to Viasna. Ms. Tikhanovskaya commended the efforts of U.S. officials, crediting them for playing a crucial role in securing her husband’s release.
As she aptly put it, “It’s hard to describe the joy in my heart,” a sentiment that resonates deeply amid ongoing struggles for freedom and justice in Belarus.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International—Monitoring.
