(LITHUANIA) Belarus on Thursday released and expelled 52 political prisoners, busing most of them to the Lithuanian border less than 24 hours after a senior United States 🇺🇸 envoy met President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Minsk, according to Belarusian opposition leaders. The group crossed into Lithuania late on September 11, 2025, and spoke publicly in Vilnius the next day. Opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is widely recognized by Western governments as Belarus’s legitimate democratic representative, thanked Washington for helping secure the release yet condemned the move as forced deportation, not true freedom.
“What happened yesterday wasn’t a real freedom. It was forced deportation,” she told reporters in Vilnius on September 12.
Who was released and how they arrived
The prisoners included journalists such as Ihar Losik and Alena Tsimashchuk, and many lesser‑known detainees who had received long sentences for protest activity, social media posts, or support work for opposition campaigns. Most had spent years in harsh penal colonies after the contested 2020 election.
- Many crossed the border in the clothes they wore in custody.
- Some carried only envelopes with sparse prison documents; others had nothing at all.
- Lithuanian authorities provided humanitarian aid at the crossing, including medical checks from an on‑site doctor, blankets, water, and first aid.
At a press conference in Vilnius the next day, the released prisoners described being taken from cells or labor sites with little to no warning, handed their belongings, and ordered onto buses bound for Lithuania. At the crossing, Belarusian officers reportedly walked them to the line and told them to go. Lithuanian paramedics and border guards were waiting to receive them.
Forced exile vs. goodwill gesture
While opposition leaders framed the mass expulsion as coercive, the Belarusian government presented the releases as a goodwill gesture and has not publicly acknowledged the forced nature of the transfers. U.S. officials have not disclosed the terms of the talks that preceded the move.
- Analysts (including VisaVerge.com) see the timing — right after a U.S. diplomatic visit — as evidence that targeted diplomacy played a decisive role.
- The full scope of any agreement or understanding remains undisclosed.
The opposition’s stance: deportation is not freedom. Without the right to return, people remain politically constrained—even if no longer in prison.
Notable missing and risks
The case of former presidential candidate Mikalay Statkevich underscored the risks. He reportedly declined to leave Belarus and has not been seen since, raising renewed fears among families who have lived for years with uncertainty.
Opposition and rights groups worry that the government may use selective releases to ease Western pressure while keeping key figures jailed or silenced.
Pattern and precedent
This expulsion continued a pattern in which Belarus trades releases for exile. In June, Minsk freed a separate group that included Syarhey Tsikhanouski (Tsikhanouskaya’s husband) under restrictions that prevented their return.
- Critics: this practice splits families across borders and leaves people effectively as prisoners in exile.
- Supporters of engagement: point to the release as relief for families and life‑changing for former prisoners.
Immediate Lithuanian response and aid
Lithuania has become a regional hub for Belarusian exiles since 2020. Officials emphasized care and humanitarian support rather than politics.
Lithuanian support included:
– Access to medical care, safe temporary housing, and legal briefings
– Help with documents and asylum processes
– Mobilization of volunteers and aid groups to supply phones, clothes, and basic needs
– Local lawyers and social workers providing advice on temporary protection or longer‑term status under national and EU rules
Aid workers reported immediate priorities: finding a place to sleep, replacing IDs, contacting relatives, and attending health screenings.
Human rights concerns and prison conditions
Human rights monitors documented conditions in Belarusian prisons that align with the released prisoners’ testimony: chronic medical neglect, overcrowding, isolation, and pressure to confess.
- Former detainees described conditions as akin to “Middle Ages” punishment: isolation, cold, and constant surveillance.
- Rights groups argue that forcing people to leave under threat of renewed imprisonment violates international norms and basic protections.
- The lack of clear legal documents for the expulsions raises practical problems: work permits, healthcare access, schooling for children, and the permanency of exile.
What the expelled and opposition want next
Tsikhanouskaya and other opposition figures urged Western partners to:
– Keep pressing for the unconditional release of all political prisoners
– Push for reforms that allow exiles to return without fear of arrest
– Maintain public attention on named cases to protect those who remain in custody
Practical recommendations from lawyers and aid groups for the newly arrived:
1. Secure proof of identity if you have none.
2. Speak to authorities about options for temporary stay or asylum.
3. Attend health screenings and update contact information.
4. Get help with trauma counseling and legal assistance.
5. Keep records of any threats or surveillance that relatives in Belarus face.
Geopolitical frame and implications
Analysts note this week’s expulsions fit a recurring pattern: releases often appear when Minsk seeks relief from sanctions or wants to send signals to Washington and Brussels.
- Belarus’s ties with Moscow remain tight, even as Minsk tests limited outreach to select Western partners.
- The expulsions may be a tactical move rather than a strategic shift in Belarusian domestic policy.
- The lack of transparency around talks makes it difficult to judge whether further concessions or broader dialogue will follow.
For U.S. diplomats, the episode shows both the power and limits of engagement: securing releases can save lives, but deportation under pressure raises a core contradiction—people were not given a genuine choice about where to live. Washington has not publicly reconciled that contradiction.
For readers seeking U.S. policy context, review official materials from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs:
https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-political-affairs/bureau-of-european-and-eurasian-affairs/
Longer‑term challenges for the deported
Life after crossing the border quickly divides into two timelines:
- Track A: beginning anew in Lithuania with help from aid groups, legal support, and local communities. This includes:
- medical care and trauma services
- housing and help with documents
- integration support for work and study
- Track B: watching Belarus from abroad while families remain inside—often caring for children or elderly relatives alone and facing surveillance or new charges.
Those who spoke in Vilnius stressed they want to return but not at the cost of new arrests or trials. Many plan to use relative safety in Lithuania to document cases, assist families still in Belarus, and keep civic networks alive.
The documented sequence (summary)
The deported prisoners described a consistent sequence from custody to crossing:
- Prison officers informed detainees they would be released only if they left Belarus immediately.
- Buses transported groups to the Lithuanian border without notifying families.
- Belarusian officials escorted detainees to the crossing and directed them across the line.
- Lithuanian authorities met them with medical checks, water, and basic supplies.
- The group traveled to Vilnius and held a press conference to share their accounts.
Warnings, needs, and calls to action
Opposition figures and rights groups urged donors and governments to maintain aid for both those inside Belarus and those now in exile. They called for:
– emergency funds for families
– legal aid and documentation support
– medical and mental health services
– help replacing passports or expired IDs
They stressed the goal is not merely survival in exile but preserving civic communities ready to rebuild democratic institutions when conditions permit.
Important warning: forced expulsions can split families and limit the ability of exiles to return. Continued international attention and legal support remain crucial.
Records, names, and the importance of documentation
Families and rights groups emphasized that names matter. Lists of arrests, prison numbers, letters, and now border stamps and medical notes keep people visible in a system that often hides them. These records serve both present needs (proof of identity and status) and potential future uses in legal or historical accounts.
Closing snapshot
In plain terms:
– 52 people were released and deported in a single day after direct talks with U.S. officials.
– The state offered no legal path back for those expelled.
– Families remain split, and at least one prominent dissident who refused forced exile has vanished.
– Lithuania provided immediate care and legal assistance; opposition leaders thanked diplomats for help while denouncing the method.
– Human rights organizations will continue tracking names, cases, and conditions and pressing for the right to return.
This Article in a Nutshell
In mid-September 2025, Belarus released and expelled 52 political prisoners to Lithuania shortly after a U.S. envoy’s visit to Minsk. The group included journalists and long-imprisoned activists from the contested 2020 election era. Detainees say they were taken from cells with little notice, put on buses, and escorted across the border with minimal belongings; Lithuanian authorities provided immediate humanitarian assistance and medical checks. Opposition leaders, led by Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, called the action forced deportation, arguing it denies genuine freedom and the right to return. Minsk characterized the move as a goodwill gesture, and U.S. officials have not disclosed negotiation details. Human rights groups warn that selective releases may be a tactic to relieve Western pressure while keeping key dissidents detained. Lithuania is assisting arrivals with housing, legal advice, and healthcare, while advocates call for continued international pressure for unconditional releases, safe return guarantees, and comprehensive support for exiles.
