UK-Belarus dual citizen Julia Fenner, the wife of a British diplomat, has been freed from prison by Belarus as part of a broader release agreed with the US.
She had been given a long jail term last month after being detained on the border upon her entry into Belarus in March 2024.
UK Europe Minister Stephen Doughty expressed that it is great news that a British national has been brought home.
In total, fifty-two prisoners were freed from Belarus following an agreement brokered between US President Donald Trump and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
In turn for the release of political prisoners, the US has indicated it will ease some sanctions on the Belarusian airline Belavia, permitting it to procure parts for its aircraft.
Doughty labeled this release an important breakthrough and extended thanks to the US for their diplomatic efforts in achieving this result.
Among the prisoners released were trade union leaders, journalists, and activists, even as more than 1,000 political prisoners remain imprisoned in Belarus.
Prior to her imprisonment, Julia Fenner worked at the British embassy in Minsk and was wed to diplomat Martin Fenner, who served as deputy head of mission in the early 2000s.
Mrs. Fenner was identified as a political prisoner by the human rights group Charter 97, facing charges related to public order violations and support for extremist activities, though specifics of accusations were never explained.
The authoritarian regime of Lukashenko has repressed opposition since assuming power in 1994. He termed the release of the prisoners a humanitarian gesture and met with Trump's special envoy in the Belarusian capital.
In a follow-up statement, exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya thanked Trump for facilitating the prisoners' release but warned that over 1,300 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus.
She referred to the 52 releases as not real freedom but rather forced deportation.
Concerns also grew for Mikola Statkevich, a veteran dissident who opted to remain in Belarus, as his fate remains uncertain after he was photographed in no man's land at the border.
The overall political climate in Belarus remains tense, especially with joint military exercises conducted by Belarus and Russia, raising concerns for neighboring NATO countries.
