Belarus released an American woman from detention on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, as President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to extend his 30-year rule in a contested election.
Rubio identified the freed detainee as Anastassia Nuhfer, detained in December 2024 during former President Joe Biden’s administration. The reasons for her arrest were not disclosed.
Her release comes amid waves of prisoner amnesties by Lukashenko’s government. Rights group Viasna reports over 1,250 political opponents remain detained in Belarus, which has faced criticism for its harsh suppression of dissent since the 2020 protests against a disputed election.
The U.S. State Department confirmed a consular officer had recently visited Nuhfer in Belarus. A former Belarusian diplomat, speaking anonymously for security reasons, claimed her arrest was linked to the 2020 protests. The diplomat added that Lukashenko authorized her release as a “gesture of goodwill” but refused to free jailed Belarusian opposition leaders and activists.
Viasna’s Pavel Sapelka said Nuhfer’s detention had not been publicly known, and her name had not appeared on any lists of political prisoners.
Lukashenko, often called “Europe’s last dictator,” has aligned Belarus closely with Russia, especially in the war in Ukraine. This stance has strained ties with the U.S. and European Union, ending previous attempts to balance relations with the West and Moscow.
Despite this, Artyom Shraybman, a Belarus expert at the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center, suggested Lukashenko may try to ease Western sanctions after the election.
“Lukashenko’s goal is to cement his legitimacy and open dialogue with the West,” Shraybman said.
The U.S. has not disclosed whether concessions were made for Nuhfer’s release. Belarus has faced international condemnation for its political repression and election practices.
