White House says American among three freed in Belarus

The White House said Wednesday that President Trump secured the release of at least three people jailed in Belarus, including an American it has not named and a Belarusian journalist.

The development follows the exchange of an American teacher jailed in Russia for a Russian crypto kingpin imprisoned in the U.S.

Adam Boehler, the White House Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, told reporters that the prisoners released in Belarus were not part of an exchange and that, to his knowledge, Russian President Vladimir Putin was not involved. Belarus’s authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is a close ally to Putin. 

One of the individuals is an American citizen who wants to remain private, Boehler said.

Belarus also released Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Andrey Kuznechyk, who served more than three years in prison on charges criticized as politically motivated. 

“This is a joyous day for Andrey, his wife, and their two young children. After more than three years apart, this family is together again thanks to President Trump,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Stephen Capus said in a statement. 

“We remain hopeful that our journalist Ihar Losik will also be released and look to the Trump administration for its continued leadership and guidance.”

The U.S. also helped secure the release of activist Alena Maushuk.

The news follows Trump securing the freedom of Marc Fogel on Wednesday, in exchange for a Russian cyber-criminal Alexander Vinnik.

Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz said that the Russian prisoner exchange was a confidence-building measure toward U.S. efforts to negotiate a halt to Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

The three people released from Belarus are in Vilnius, Lithuania, said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, exiled President-elect of Belarus. 

“Huge thanks to 🇺🇸 President Trump, Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio, and the U.S. State Department for their joint efforts in making this happen!” she wrote.

The Viasna Human Rights Center says there are 1,229 political prisoners in Belarus. Many of these people were rounded up during the contested 2020 presidential election, where Lukashenko, ruling for more than three decades, claimed victory over Tsikhanouskaya.

While Lukashenko is an ally in Russia’s war against Ukraine – Russia launched its full-scale invasion from Belarusian territory in Feb. 2022 and moved nuclear weapons into Belarus – Lukashenko is also keen to demonstrate autonomy on the world stage. 

In August, Lukashenko granted the release of a jailed German citizen, part of a major prisoner exchange between the West and Russia that marked the largest since the Cold War. 

Updated: 2:03 p.m.