Belarus ‘unilaterally’ released American woman from detention, US Secretary of State marco rubio It was announced on Sunday as countries allied to the Kremlin held redacted elections poised to give to the strong President Alexander Lukashenko Yet another term in addition to his 30 years in power.
Rubio’s posts on the X social network identified the US citizen as Anastasia Neufer. She said she was detained during former President Joe Biden’s term in office, but did not specify when or why.
Rubio’s statement came on the heels of a wave of prisoner releases by Lukashenko, often referred to as “Europe’s last dictator.” Viasna, Belarus’ oldest rights group, says more than 1,250 people have been detained over their opposition to authorities.
Lukashenko’s opponents, who have been imprisoned or exiled abroad due to the relentless crackdown on dissent and freedom of speech, called Sunday’s election a sham. The last election in 2020 sparked unprecedented mass protests History of Belarus.
The US State Department said on Sunday that Noufer was taken into custody in early December 2024. Earlier this month, consular officers in Washington said they had been granted rare access to American detainees in Belarus.
A former high-ranking Belarusian diplomat told the AP that Nufer’s arrest was related to the 2020 protests, but he did not elaborate. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said Lukashenko himself offered to release the US citizens “as a gesture of goodwill.”
Nufer’s release took the public by surprise and even Belarusian activists. Her name was not made public and she did not appear on any list of political prisoners.
Pavel Sapelka of Viasna Rights Group said he and his colleagues were not aware of her arrest or the circumstances.
Lukashenko’s support for the war in Ukraine led to the rupture of Belarus’ ties with the US and EU, ending his gamesmanship to use the West to obtain more subsidies from the Kremlin. did.
However, Artyom Shraybman, a Belarus expert at the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center, predicts that Minsk could try after the election to try to ease its complete dependence on Russia and reach out to the West again. I did.
“Lukashenko’s interim goal is to use the elections to confirm his legitimacy and try to overcome his isolation in order to at least start a conversation with the West about easing sanctions.” Reibman said.
It was unclear what, if any, concessions Minsk demanded in exchange for the release of U.S. citizens.
