Washington — At least one U.S. citizen who had been detained in Belarus was released Wednesday, the United States’ top hostage negotiator said, one of three prisoners being freed.
Adam Boehler, President Trump’s nominee to be the envoy for hostage affairs, told reporters at the White House that the individual wants to remain private. Two other individuals were released Wednesday as part of the deal, he said. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty identified its journalist Andrey Kuznechyk, who was arrested in November 2021, as one of the people released.
In a statement calling on Belarus to release other prisoners, Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the U.S. citizen as “unjustly detained,” and the other two individuals as “political prisoners.”
Another woman, who is now in Texas, was released two weeks ago in what Boehler described as “phase one” of the release.
“Phase two was done today,” Boehler said, adding that it was a “unilateral release” and the U.S. gave nothing in return.
Chris Smith, deputy assistant secretary for Eastern Europe, said the deal was negotiated by Belarusian authorities in Minsk and that it signaled a desire by Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, to have a stronger relationship with the U.S.
“This was a unilateral gesture by the Lukashenko authorities,” Smith said in an interview with CNN. “They’re responding to strength. They’re looking to improve ties. This was a gesture on their side.”
Smith said the three individuals were handed over to U.S. custody in Belarus, and the U.S. then “brought them back out through Lithuania.”
The news comes a day after Marc Fogel, an American teacher who had been held in Russia since 2021, was freed by the Kremlin, an ally of Belarus.
Mr. Trump said Tuesday that another American held abroad would be released Wednesday, too, saying, “somebody else is being released tomorrow that you will know of.” But he did not elaborate further.
Fogel met with Mr. Trump at the White House late Tuesday, shortly after arriving back in the U.S.
The Biden administration only recently declared Fogel to be wrongfully detained, years after his arrest on drug charges in Moscow. His family said Fogel was carrying 17 grams of marijuana to treat chronic back pain.
“The smartest thing you can do to curry favor with the president of the United States is bring Americans home,” Boehler told reporters.
