UK says “Great News” British National Freed in Belarus

Double Britain-Britain-Belarusian Julia Fenner, who is the wife of a British diplomat, was released from the prison of Belarus as part of a broader release from the United States.

Last month, she was given a long term of imprisonment after her detention at the border when she entered Belarus in March 2024.

Great Britain’s European Minister Stephen Dai said that “this is a great news that the British citizen had been brought home.”

Fifty -two prisoners were released from Belarus on Thursday as part of the agreement between US President Donald Trump and authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In exchange for the release of US political prisoners, they said to release some sanctions on the Belarusian airline, which will allow the carrier to buy details for their planes.

Stephen Davuti called the release of “significant breakthroughs” and thanked the US for “significant diplomatic efforts to ensure this result”.

The prisoners were nominated by union leaders, journalists and activists, but more than 1,000 political prisoners remain in prison in Belarus.

Earlier, Julia Fenner worked at the British Embassy in Minsk before marrying British diplomat Martin Fenner, Human Rights Group 97. Martin Fenner has been deputy head of the mission in Minsk for four years in the early 2000s.

Another group of rights, spring 96, recognized Mrs. Fenner political prison who went to prison in the colony.

Despite the fact that the reason for the charge of Belarus was never explained, she was charged with two articles of the Criminal Code for active participation in actions that greatly violate public order and assistance.

The entire opposition was abolished by the Belarusian authoritarian leader Lukashenko, 71, which has been in power since 1994.

He described the issue of 52 prisoners as a humanitarian gesture, after meeting with special envoy Donald Trump John Coal in the Minsk capital on Thursday.

At a press conference on Friday, the opposition leader Svetlana Tikhonovskaya thanked the US president for ensuring the release of prisoners.

1300 political prisoners are estimated to remain in prison in Belarus, but Tikhonovsky stated that 52 prisoners’ release on Thursday was a step in the right direction.

“What happened yesterday was not true freedom,” she warned. “It was forced deportation.”

The opposition leader added that she was “very worried about the fate of Mikola Statkevich” – a dissident veteran who refused to leave Belarus yesterday and move to Lithuania.

Yesterday Tikhonovskaya posted photos on the Internet showing 69-year-old Mr. Statkovich sitting on the ground No Man on the border.

Statkovich opposed Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential election and was in prison for five years when he was released.

Tikhonovsky said that his location is now unknown, but added: “Everyone who is released has the right to choose either stay or leave.”

Spring 96 said that Mr. Statkevich “wants to be with his people under any conditions” and adds: “He is going to leave only when Belarus is free from Lukashenko.”

Lukashenka praised the United States for “a very constructive position on so -called political prisoners,” BelTA news agencies reports.

“We do not need political prisoners or other prisoners,” he said.

Many of those who were still in custody were arrested during fierce repression in 2020, when the protests arose against the presidential election, which were widely condemned as rigged.

Lukashenka has long called Vladimir Putin to his “older brother”, and the Russian leader helped him during the 2020 protests.

In February 2022, Putin used the Belarusian territory to launch a full -scale invasion of Ukraine, and on Friday two countries started five days of joint military exercises.

NATO participants Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, who share the border from Belarus, are highly ready because of the Zapad-2025 training. Poland closed its borders from Belarus, and Latvia closed part of the air space.