Belarus has released three detainees, including a US citizen and a journalist for a US government-funded broadcaster. The White House confirmed the release, which included one American and two Belarusians, one of whom worked for Radio Liberty. The American detainee has not been identified. The released individuals, including journalist Andrey Kuznechyk and activist Alena Maushuk, are now in Vilnius. Kuznechyk, a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was sentenced to six years on charges of creating an extremist group.
President of RFE/RL, Stephen Capus, expressed joy at the reunion of Kuznechyk with his family after more than three years apart. RFE/RL is a broadcaster funded by the US Congress, known as Radio Svoboda in Belarus. The release comes amidst a larger campaign of repression against independent media in Belarus. The US ambassador to Lithuania described the release as a significant moment for Team America.
In a separate incident, American schoolteacher Marc Fogel was released from a Russian prison after three and a half years. In exchange, the US is sending convicted Russian criminal Alexander Vinnik back to Russia. Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 on cryptocurrency fraud charges and later pleaded guilty to money laundering in the US. The Kremlin confirmed the exchange but did not identify the freed Russian citizen until his arrival in Russia.
These recent releases represent diplomatic efforts to free detained individuals in both Belarus and Russia, highlighting ongoing human rights concerns in the region.
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