The now 46-year-old Tachanowski was arrested in May 2020, after announcing that he wanted to run against rulers Alexander Lukaschenko in the presidential election, which took place a few months later. In December 2021, the blogger and opponent of the government was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the organization of mass riots.
Now he was pardoned. His wife Swetlana Tachanowskaja released a video of her smiling man who hugged her after his release. In large letters it said: “Free” (free). She thanked US President Donald Trump and the EU for supporting her husband’s release.
“It is difficult to describe the joy in my heart,” wrote Tachanowskaja to X. on her Telegram channel, with a view to her husband: “He is with me, together with the children. Our family has dreamed of it for five years, and we have all worked on it since his arrest”.
After Tachanowski’s detention, his wife Swetlana had been in his place and had challenged the president as a candidate. Despite massive fraud allegations, Lukaschenko was officially declared the winner after the election in August 2020. This triggered unprecedented mass protests. They were violently depressed, thousands of government critics were arrested or fled into exile. Swetlana Tachanowskaja also fled her homeland and has been tirelessly fighting from exile for democracy in Belarus, Lukaschko and for the release of her husband.
Federal Foreign Minister Johann WadePhul (CDU) welcomed the release. “It is a fantastic good news that Sergej Tachanowski is finally free,” he wrote at X. “At the same time, we do not forget the many other prisoners in Belarus. Lukaschko has to finally release them,” the article said.
“These are fantastic news and it is a strong symbol of hope for all political prisoners suffering from the brutal Lukaschenko regime,” wrote EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the online service.
The Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys announced on Saturday that 14 released political prisoners, including Tachanowski, were “in Safe” in Lithuania and would be “adequately cared for”. Budrys also explained in online service X that the role of the United States was “decisive” when it comes to release. He also called for the release of the numerous other remaining political prisoners in Belarus.
Budry’s Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski, in whose country also tens of thousands of Belarussia fled in his own country, thanked the US emissary Keith Kellogg for the “release of 14 political prisoners in Belarus”. The release of the release took place just a few hours after a meeting of Lukaschenkos with Kellogg in Minsk.
Since the return of US President Donald Trump into the White House, the USA has approached Russia – the closest ally of Belarus. In the past few months, several US citizens imprisoned in Russia had also been released.
Because of Lukaschko’s relentless approach to the opposition and because of his support of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the West imposed a number of sanctions against Belarus.
Lukaschko has been ruling the Eastern European country with an iron hand since 1994. In January he had been voted president again – it is his seventh term. Lukaschko is a close ally and supporter of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. His country depends on Russia politically and economically.
