An American citizen, whose identity remains undisclosed for privacy reasons, was recently released from prison in Belarus along with two other political prisoners. The two individuals freed alongside the American were Andrei Kuznechyk, an employee of US-backed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Alena Maushuk.
President Donald Trump hinted at the release of another US citizen following the recent release of Marc Fogel from Russia. The American citizen in question had been detained in September 2024, marking the second US citizen to be released from Belarus during the Trump administration. Anastassia Nuhfer was previously detained in December 2024 and released in January.
According to Chris Smith, a deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs handling the Belarus portfolio, the release of the American citizen and the other political prisoners was a unilateral gesture by the Belarusian authorities. Smith mentioned that Belarus is seeking to enhance its relations with the US and viewed the release as a step towards initiating a political dialogue.
During the first Trump administration, the US had aimed to improve diplomatic ties with Belarus. However, these efforts were halted following Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's controversial self-proclaimed electoral victory in August 2020, which led to a severe crackdown on protesters and civil society.
Lukashenko's government is currently holding over a thousand political prisoners, and Belarus has faced sanctions from the US due to its support for Russia's actions in Ukraine and its suppression of civil society.
