Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eastern European Affairs, Christopher Smith, who oversees the United States’ policy on Belarus under the new administration. Among other responsibilities, Mr. Smith works on the release of political prisoners in Belarus.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the new US administration for its role in securing the release of Andrei Kuznechyk, Yury Ziankovich, and Alena Maushuk. She also welcomed the release announced yesterday of 42 individuals imprisoned for political reasons, made possible in part thanks to the United States’ efforts.
During the meeting, the following issues were discussed:
- Further steps toward the release of political prisoners. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude for continued coordination and cooperation on this issue;
- The possible appointment of a US Special Envoy for Belarus to oversee efforts related to the release of political prisoners and support a peaceful resolution to the internal political crisis;
- Restoration of support programs for independent media, civil society initiatives, and repressed individuals.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We are grateful to the United States, President Trump, and the State Department for their attention to our political prisoners and for all their ongoing efforts. I know how difficult this work is. We celebrate every release together. But we also remember that thousands of Belarusians remain behind bars, and new detentions continue. We maintain close and almost daily communication with the United States administration to help stop the repressions and secure the release of all our hostages from prison”.
