U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Jan. 26 that Belarus had "unilaterally" released an American woman from detention, as Alexander Lukashenko is set to win a seventh term in office.
Rubio identified the U.S. citizen as Anastassia Nuhfer, who was detained during former President Joe Biden's tenure. He did not provide details on the timing or reasons for her arrest.
Rubio's statement followed a series of prisoner releases by Lukashenko, often referred to as "Europe’s last dictator."
Belarus' oldest human rights group, Viasna, reports that over 1,250 individuals remain in detention for opposing the government. Lukashenko’s opponents, many imprisoned or exiled due to his ongoing crackdown on dissent, have condemned Sunday’s election as fraudulent. The 2020 election, which sparked months of mass protests, has been widely criticized for its lack of legitimacy.
The U.S. State Department later confirmed that Nuhfer had been detained in early December 2024, according to the Associated Press. Earlier this month, a consular officer from Washington gained rare access to her in detention.
A former high-ranking Belarusian diplomat told the Associated Press that Nuhfer's arrest was tied to the 2020 protests, though they did not provide further details. The diplomat, speaking anonymously due to security concerns, added that Lukashenko offered to release Nuhfer "as a gesture of goodwill" but refused to free any Belarusian opposition or rights activists.
Lukashenko’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine has strained Belarus’ relations with both the U.S. and the EU, ending his previous attempts to leverage Western support for more subsidies from Moscow.
It remains unclear what, if any, concessions Belarus may have sought in exchange for releasing Nuhfer.
Maria Yeryoma
(Updated: )
