Belarusians attend an Aug. 2020 rally in support of the Belarusian opposition, against police brutality and the results of the Belarusian presidential election in the capital of Minsk. Radio Free Europe journalist Andrey Kuznechyk spent more than three years in a Belarusian jail on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Photo By Yauhen Yerchak/EPA-EFE
A journalist was among at least three people jailed in Belarus who the White House said Wednesday were released following a series of prisoner swaps this week, according to U.S. officials.
“This is a joyous day for Andrey, his wife, and their two young children,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Stephen Capus said in a statement. Advertisement
Andrey Kuznechyk, a father of two, spent more than three years in a Belarusian jail on charges widely viewed as politically motivated.
He was released Wednesday, according to Adam Boehler, the U.S. special envoy for hostage affairs. In addition, Belarusian officials released activist Alena Maushuk and an unidentified American man who reportedly chose stay private.
ANDREY KUZNECHYK IS FREE pic.twitter.com/kBZAYBz6dC— Deniz Yüksel (@denizyuksel130) February 12, 2025
He was initially sentenced to 10 days in jail on charges of “hooliganism” after his Nov. 25, 2021 arrest reportedly after he was followed home by four unidentified security agents. After the 10 days, he was not released but charged once more for allegedly creating an “extremist” group.
It arrived as the United States was set to free cyber criminal Alexander Vinnik in a swap for American teacher Marc Fogel. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the prison releases “a remarkable victory.” Advertisement
Kuznechyk’s family and colleagues, however, were not aware of the new set of charges against him for several months. The Mahilyou regional court to the east near Russia found Kuznechyk guilty on June 8, 2022 and slapped him with a six year prison sentence after a one day trial.
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 political prisoners are currently detained in Belarus next to neighboring Russia, according to the rights group Viasna.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists counts at least 40 journalists behind bars in Belarus — a country which ranks among the worst jailers of journalists globally.
The small eastern European country embarked on a major crackdown on journalists and other critics following longtime authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko’s 2020 election that experts say was rigged. Amid protests, it secured his more than 30-year hold on the office as a known ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to flee Minsk with her family over safety concerns, said Kuznechyk’s release was “wonderful news.”
“We remain hopeful that our journalist Ihar Losik will also be released and look to the Trump administration for its continued leadership and guidance,” Capus added on another RFE reporter jailed since 2020 in Belarus. Advertisement
