Call for Action: Belarus Opposition Leader's Husband Urges Trump to Assist Political Prisoners

After enduring five years of confinement, Sergei Tikhanovsky urges Donald Trump to use his influence to release political prisoners in Belarus. Joined by his wife, opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Tikhanovsky shares harrowing accounts of his imprisonment and calls for renewed international support against the oppressive regime of Alexander Lukashenko.

Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of Belarus' prominent opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has made a heartfelt appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to "just say the word" that would lead to the release of all political prisoners in Belarus. Tikhanovsky’s unexpected release from prison on Saturday marked a significant moment, reuniting him with his wife in Lithuania, alongside the release of thirteen other political prisoners who were forcibly exiled.

The timing of these releases coincided with the visit of U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg to Minsk, where he met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. This marks the first significant American diplomatic engagement with the nation in years, amidst longstanding tensions related to human rights violations and Lukashenko's support for Russia despite its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

In a tearful press conference the day after his release, Tikhanovsky described his harrowing five-year experience of solitary confinement, a situation he described as "the strictest possible regime," devoid of any human contact or communication. "For five years, I couldn't even go to confession with a priest. No letters, no calls, no priest, no lawyer," he lamented. Conceding to the unbearable nature of his confinement, he equated the conditions to nothing short of torture, especially when compared to the privileges extended to other inmates.

As a prominent opposition figure arrested while attempting to run against Lukashenko in the 2020 elections, Tikhanovsky faced an 18-year sentence for allegedly orchestrating mass protests. Despite his release, he remains deeply troubled about the hundreds of political prisoners still detained in Belarusian jails, lamenting the inhumane conditions they face. He passionately called for the U.S. administration to leverage its power for their release, stating, "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."

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya stood by her husband during the conference, visibly moved and marking the occasion as a pivotal moment in their tumultuous journey. She shared the emotional repercussions of their daughter not recognizing her father due to the drastic changes during his imprisonment.

While acknowledging the symbolic gesture of U.S. diplomacy represented by the meeting with Kellogg, Tikhanovsky emphasized that there was a more pressing need for the removal of U.S. sanctions against Belarus, which they believe holds the key to fostering change in the country.

Despite his own release, Tikhanovsky clarified his support for his wife’s leadership in the opposition, underscoring that he does not seek to take over her role. "The leader of the opposition is Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, my wife," he affirmed, encouraging all Belarusians to stand in defiance against the oppressive regime of Lukashenko. His call resonated with the long-standing outcry for justice and freedom, as significant numbers of Belarusians continue to flee the country amid widespread political repression and unrest since 2020.