Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after rare visit by top US envoy

A jailed opposition leader in Belarus has been freed and is now in Lithuania.

Siarhei Tsikhanouski was released along with 13 other political prisoners following talks between Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Keith Kellogg, who is President Trump's envoy for Ukraine. Mr Kellogg became the highest-ranking US official in years to visit Belarus, which is a close ally of Russia.

Israel-Iran live: Trump arrives back at White House as Security Council mulls Iran action Mr Tsikhanouski, a blogger and activist, was arrested after announcing he would run for the presidency against Mr Lukashenko in the 2020 election. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison the following year after a court found him guilty of organising mass unrest and of inciting social hatred.

After he was detained, his wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya ran in his place and she became an opposition leader who is now in exile in Lithuania. Although Mr Lukashenko was officially declared the winner of the election, the result was denounced by the opposition and the West as a sham.

On Saturday, a video on Ms Tsikhanouskaya's social media showed Mr Tsikhanouski getting out of a minibus and smiling despite his emaciated appearance. He and his wife hugged as their supporters clapped.

She said: "My husband is free. It's difficult to describe the joy in my heart." She thanked Mr Trump, Mr Kellogg and "all European allies" for their efforts in getting him released.

Read more Trump news and analysis:Pakistan says it will nominate Trump for Nobel Peace PrizeUS warplanes transit through UK as Trump considers striking IranTrump's credibility gap and why Iran may want to take its chances in Israel conflict But she added her team's work was "not finished.