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

Released Belarusian Activist Sergei Tikhanovsky Appeals Directly to Trump: "Just Say the Word" for All Political Prisoners

Vilnius, Lithuania – June 22, 2025 – In an emotionally charged press conference just hours after his unexpected release from a Belarusian prison, Sergei Tikhanovsky, the prominent opposition activist and husband of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, issued a direct plea to US President Donald Trump.¹ "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," Tikhanovsky implored, visibly emaciated and at times struggling for words after five years of solitary confinement.²

Tikhanovsky was among 14 political prisoners unexpectedly freed on Saturday and subsequently forced into exile in Lithuania, where he was reunited with his wife.³ This move by Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, coincided with the first high-profile American visit to Minsk in many years, that of US special envoy Keith Kellogg, who met directly with Lukashenko.⁴

His release marks a significant development in the ongoing saga of political repression in Belarus, which has seen thousands arrested and hundreds of thousands flee the country since the brutally crushed protests of 2020.⁵ Human rights group Viasna estimates that over 1,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, many held incommunicado and subjected to horrific conditions.⁶

Recounting his harrowing five years in "the strictest possible regime" of solitary confinement, Tikhanovsky described being 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 sobbed, calling his experience a "nightmare" and "inhuman torture." He highlighted the stark contrast with convicted murderers, who he claimed had more rights and privileges than political prisoners.

Tikhanovsky was arrested in 2020 as he prepared to challenge Lukashenko in the presidential elections.⁷ He was subsequently sentenced to 18 years in 2021 on politically motivated charges, including rallying mass protests against the long-serving leader.⁸ His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, stepped in to run in his place, galvanizing the largest protests in Belarus's history before being forced to flee the country after Lukashenko declared a landslide, widely disputed victory.⁹

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who wiped away her own tears as her husband spoke, referred to him as her "personal hero."¹⁰ She revealed that their daughter had not recognized her father due to his dramatic physical changes.¹¹ She also underscored that Lukashenko's only direct gain from the prisoner release was the visit from US envoy Kellogg, which the Belarusian leader can present as a diplomatic breakthrough after years of international isolation stemming from his regime's repression and support for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

While the US has signaled that discussions regarding sanctions relief for Belarus were part of the agenda, Tikhanovsky emphasized that what Belarus truly desires is the removal of these sanctions.

Despite his ordeal, Tikhanovsky, once a charismatic video blogger who encouraged people to "stop the cockroach" (referring to Lukashenko), reaffirmed his commitment to the opposition movement but clarified he has no intention of usurping his wife's leadership. "The leader of the opposition is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, my wife, and I don't make any claim to anything," he stated.

He ended his emotional address with a defiant message to Belarusians: "I want to say to all Belarusians - if you were waiting for a symbol, this is it." He urged them to stand up to Lukashenko, expressing no regrets for his past actions, even acknowledging that his release had likely saved his life, as he would not have survived his full sentence under the brutal prison conditions. The immediate impact of his public appeal to President Trump remains to be seen, but it undoubtedly casts a spotlight on the plight of the remaining political prisoners in Belarus.