Detainee Held in Belarus Secures Release, Now Free
Freed from Belarus after Years in Detention: American Citizen Yuras Ziankovich
In a surprising turn of events, Yuras Ziankovich, an American citizen, has been freed from Belarusian custody. This was announced by a US official to CNN on April 30, 2025.
Ziankovich's ordeal began in Moscow in 2021, where he was accused of being part of a US-backed coup plot against Belarus's strongman leader, Alexander Lukashenko. The US State Department vehemently denounced any involvement in such a plot. Despite the allegations, there was no prisoner swap that led to his release. Instead, he was declared wrongfully detained by the US authorities in February 2025.
Following his release, Ziankovich was escorted to neighboring Lithuania by a team of US officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Chris Smith. This isn't the first time Smith has facilitated the release of Americans from Belarus.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later confirmed the news, praising President Trump's leadership for ensuring the safety of Americans abroad.
"Thanks to @POTUS's leadership, Belarus has released another wrongfully detained U.S. citizen. No president has done so much, so quickly, to keep Americans safe abroad," Rubio posted on X.
Ziankovich's wife, Alena Dzenisavets, expressed her gratitude towards President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and other officials involved in his release. She also acknowledged the help of non-profit organizations such as Global Reach and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation.
Interestingly, Global Reach reported that Ziankovich did not have access to State Department personnel until January 2025.
Ziankovich isn't the only American to have been released from Belarus under the Trump administration. Anastassia Nuhfer was released in January after being detained in December 2024. Another unnamed American citizen, detained in September 2024, was released in mid-February. Two other political prisoners were also released at the same time.
Smith claimed that the releases were a unilateral gesture by Lukashenko's authorities, indicating their aspiration to improve ties with the US. Lukashenko, however, didn't secure any benefits from this exchange, according to Smith. He stated that Belarus is looking to Foster diplomatic dialogue with the US by releasing these Americans and other political prisoners.
During the first term of the Trump administration, diplomatic overtures towards Minsk were put on hold. This was due to Lukashenko's self-proclaimed electoral victory and the subsequent crackdown on protesters and civil society in August 2020, which Trump administration officials condemned at the time.
Despite the recent release of political prisoners, Lukashenko's government continues to detain over a thousand political prisoners. The US has responded with a series of sanctions against Belarus due to its support of Russia's war against Ukraine and its crackdown on civil society.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release of Yuras Ziankovich, an American citizen from Belarusian custody, praising President Trump's leadership for ensuring the safety of Americans abroad.
- Chris Smith, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, facilitated the release of Yuras Ziankovich, as he had done for other Americans from Belarus previously.
- Anastassia Nuhfer and another unnamed American citizen were also released from Belarus under the Trump administration, suggesting a unilateral gesture by Lukashenko's authorities to improve ties with the US.
- The US has imposed a series of sanctions against Belarus due to its continued detention of over a thousand political prisoners and its support of Russia's war against Ukraine, signifying ongoing concerns in the realm of policy-and-legislation and general-news related to war-and-conflicts and politics.
