Belarus opposition leader's husband Sergei Tikhanovsky freed from prison

Sergei Tikhanovsky had planned to challenge Alexander Lukashenko in the 2020 election, but was detained before the vote.

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Sergei Tikhanovsky - an opposition activist himself - has been moved to Lithuania and reunited with his wife, who is living in exile in capital Vilnius, after five years in prison.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya announced her husband's release by posting a 10-second video of their first hug since 2020. She said it was "hard to describe" the joy in her heart.

The sudden release came as US special envoy Keith Kellogg visited Minsk, Belarus' capital, on Saturday and held a meeting with the country's authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

In a statement on X, the Lithuanian foreign minister said 14 political prisoners were released and receiving care in Lithuania.