Release of British National from Belarus Marks Significant Diplomatic Breakthrough

Sat Sep 13 2025 06:56:22 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Julia Fenner, a UK-Belarus dual citizen and wife of a British diplomat, has been released from Belarusian prison in a deal involving the US and Belarus. While this is seen as a positive development, over 1,000 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus.

Julia Fenner, a dual UK-Belarus citizen and wife of a British diplomat, was released from a Belarusian prison following a diplomatic deal involving the US. The agreement led to the release of 52 political prisoners, although over 1,000 remain incarcerated in the country. The US will ease sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia as part of the negotiation. The Belarusian leader described the release as a humanitarian gesture but faced criticism over the continued political repression in the country.

Julia Fenner, a UK-Belarus dual citizen and wife of a British diplomat, has been freed from prison by Belarus as part of a broader release agreement with the United States. Fenner had been serving a seven-year sentence after being detained on the border as she entered Belarus in March 2024.

UK Europe Minister Stephen Doughty expressed relief at the news, calling it 'great news that a British national has been brought home'. The deal, negotiable thanks to diplomatic efforts by the US, resulted in the release of 52 prisoners from Belarus, all of whom were political prisoners.

Fifty-two prisoners were freed on Thursday as part of an agreement made between US President Donald Trump and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The US also agreed to relieve some sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, allowing it to purchase parts for its planes.

Doughty labeled the event a 'significant breakthrough' and thanked the US for its substantial diplomatic efforts to secure the outcome. However, despite the release, more than 1,000 political prisoners remain imprisoned in Belarus, many of whom were detained during the government's crackdown in 2020.

Julia Fenner previously worked at the British embassy in Minsk before marrying Martin Fenner, who served as the Deputy Head of Mission in Minsk for four years. Human rights groups considered her imprisonment politically motivated and labeled her a political prisoner.

On the Belarusian side, President Lukashenko characterized the release of the prisoners as a humanitarian act while denying the existence of political prisoners within the country. However, criticism has mounted against his regime regarding ongoing political repression.

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya acknowledged the importance of the release but warned that the released individuals were not genuinely free, describing the situation as 'forced deportation'. Tikhanovskaya has expressed concern over the fate of veteran dissident Mikola Statkevich, who chose to stay in Belarus rather than leave with the other released prisoners.

While this release signals some progress, the ongoing human rights issues in Belarus remain a pressing concern for international observers and human rights activists.