Belarusian Opposition Leader Sergei Tikhanovsky Freed After Five-Year Imprisonment

Fri Oct 17 2025 14:02:41 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

After enduring over five years in a Belarus prison, Sergei Tikhanovsky speaks out about his harrowing experience and reunion with family.

Sergei Tikhanovsky, a prominent opposition figure in Belarus, has been released after five years of imprisonment. In an emotional reunion, he shared details of his harrowing incarceration, the toll it took on his health, and his unwavering spirit amidst brutal treatment. Now in exile, Tikhanovsky calls for the freedom of over 1,000 remaining political prisoners and emphasizes the need for democratic change in Belarus.

After more than five years confined in a prison cell in Belarus, opposition leader Sergei Tikhanovsky has been released, bringing both relief and sorrow to his heart. Free from the restraints of solitude, he shared the emotional turmoil he faced during his time in high-security incarceration, where he was often isolated from the outside world.

Speaking in Vilnius shortly after his release, Tikhanovsky described how the inability to speak for years was a significant torment. "When you are trapped in a cell with no way to communicate, that is the hardest part — not the physical confinement," he expressed. His release came as part of a broader diplomatic engagement involving a U.S. delegation with Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, resulting in the liberation of multiple political prisoners.

Were it not for this diplomatic intervention, Tikhanovsky, who had gained prominence as a YouTuber documenting social grievances in Belarus, likely would have continued to endure the harsh conditions of prison life. He was arrested while campaigning for the presidency in 2020, and since then, he has become emblematic of the fight against the oppressive regime.

His physical transformation since his arrest is stark. Tikhanovsky reported losing close to 60 kg (132 pounds) while enduring inhumane treatment during his imprisonment, but he states that his spirit remains unbroken. “I may be physically diminished, but my resolve is even stronger,” he declared, indicating a deep commitment to expose the regime's injustices he personally witnessed behind bars.

Upon reuniting with his daughter, she initially didn't recognize him, which moved him to tears. “To see her again, to hold her, was everything — a precious moment,” Tikhanovsky remarked. He lamented the fate of those still imprisoned, recalling how he met fellow inmates whose appearances were drastically altered by the brutality of prison life.

As he steps back into society, Tikhanovsky is determined to advocate for the 1,000 political prisoners still in Belarusian jails. He articulates a hope for change and continues to emphasize the need for sustained pressure on Lukashenko's regime. His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, another prominent figure in the opposition movement, is eager yet cautious about future U.S. diplomatic engagements, urging that any sanctions remain in place until true reforms in Belarus are achieved.

In his first week of freedom, Tikhanovsky has been proactive, engaging with political figures, expressing gratitude to U.S. diplomats, and spending time with his family. Though he no longer occupies the political spotlight as he once did, he insists his primary focus is not on a return to political rivalry but on the larger goal of establishing a democratic Belarus for all its citizens.