UK-Belarus dual citizen Julia Fenner, who is the wife of a British diplomat, has been freed from prison by Belarus as part of a broader release agreed with the US.
She had been given a long jail term last month after being detained on the border as she entered Belarus in March 2024.
UK Europe Minister Stephen Doughty said it is great news that a British national has been brought home.
Fifty-two prisoners were freed from Belarus on Thursday as part of an agreement between US President Donald Trump and authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
In exchange for the release of political prisoners, the US said it would relieve some sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, allowing the carrier to buy parts for its planes.
Stephen Doughty called the release a significant breakthrough and thanked the US for substantial diplomatic efforts that secured this outcome.
The prisoners released included trade union leaders, journalists, and activists, but more than 1,000 political prisoners remain in jail in Belarus.
Julia Fenner previously worked at the British embassy in Minsk and had been recognized as a political prisoner by human rights groups.
Although the specific charges against her remained unclear, she was accused of participating in actions against public order and assisting extremist activities.
Belarusian leader Lukashenko described the release of the prisoners as a humanitarian gesture after meeting with Trump's special envoy in Minsk.
Exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya praised the prisoner release but expressed concern for those who remained in custody, particularly the fate of Mikola Statkevich, a veteran dissident who declined to leave Belarus.
Statkevich, who had opposed Lukashenko in the 2010 elections, had previously been imprisoned for five years.
The backdrop of this geopolitical maneuvering continues to unfold as tensions remain high in the region with ongoing military exercises involving Russia and Belarus.
