Belarus frees RFE/RL journalist, unnamed US citizen

February 12, Pozirk. Belarusian authorities have released former RFE/RL journalist Andrej Kuźniečyk, protester Alena Maŭšuk and “a US citizen whose name has not been disclosed so far,” opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja said on Telegram.
“Representatives of the US Embassy are helping them, and members of my Office and Cabinet are taking Alena Maŭšuk to a safe place, where she will receive all the necessary assistance,” she said.
Cichanoŭskaja thanked US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department for the “joint efforts that made this possible.”
The unnamed US citizen may be lawyer Juraś Ziankovič. The release may have been part of a US-Russian prisoner swap.
Maŭšuk was detained on August 10, 2020. In April 2021, a district court in Brest found her guilty of rioting and sentenced her to six years in prison. According to human rights activists, she had serious health problems.
RFE/RL freelancer Kuźniečyk was detained on November 25, 2021. In June 2022, the Mahiloŭ Regional Court sentenced him to six years in prison on an extremism charge.
Barys Harecki, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, has welcomed Kuźniečyk’s release. “But the most important thing is that 40 more Belarusian journalists, our colleagues, remain behind bars. It is crucial to not forget about them and to continue seeking their release,” Harecki told Pozirk.

Supreme Court upholds four-year sentence for journalist Radzivonava
- PoliticsHuman rights lawyers’ union declared extremistThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁatuška slams Łukašenka for rejecting dialogue with oppositionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityŁukašenka praises Trump as mediator between Moscow, KyivThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsRights groups declare 10 new political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsCase of fifth deceased WW2 criminal sent to Supreme CourtThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsInterior ministry adds 42 to extremist listThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus restricts apple exports for six monthsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB brands four regime critics as terroristsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka to attend SCO summit in ChinaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: protestant priest given prison term in Biełaruski Hajun caseThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics
- SocietySCC uncovers over 500 crimes in H1The material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBiełstat to use AI for census processingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyRussia: Belarusian workers deny forced labor claimsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyOil, gas and IT sectors offer best salariesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityLithuania closes airspace over part of Belarus borderThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsEstonia imposes embargo on isobutane imports from Belarus and RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+