Nils Muižnieks, delivering his inaugural address as the U.N. special rapporteur on Belarus’s human rights situation, cautioned that since January 2025, there has been a continued decline in human rights conditions. He highlighted the misuse of “highly problematic” laws by Belarusian authorities, such as those banning insults directed at the president or other officials.
“Belarus incarcerates a large number of individuals who should not be in prison, including opposition leaders, human rights activists, journalists, independent trade union members, environmental advocates, and lawyers,” Muižnieks stated before Tsikhanouski’s video was shown. He also detailed how prisoners face mistreatment by Belarusian authorities.
After the council heard Tsikhanouski’s message, Muižnieks said that the recently-freed dissident’s words “carry extra weight.”
After gaining his freedom, Tsikhanouski was joyfully reunited with his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and their children in Lithuania. Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, is recognized by some nations as the rightful president-elect.
Tsikhanouskaya thanked President Donald Trump, Kellogg and the State Department for their efforts, which led to her husband’s freedom.
“My husband Siarhei is free! It’s hard to describe the joy in my heart,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote on X. “We’re not done. 1,150 political prisoners remain behind bars. All must be released.”
Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a Belarusian opposition activist released from a prison by Belarusian authorities, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)
UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer joined the call to see the remaining 1,150 prisoners gain their freedom.
“Siarhei Tsikhanouski is a symbol of courage who paid a heavy price for daring to challenge Lukashenko’s dictatorship. United Nations Watch is honored to give him the floor at the UN Human Rights Council just days after his release from prison. His voice, silenced by the regime for more than five years as he was tortured in jail, now speaks for millions of Belarusians who continue to demand freedom and human rights,” Neuer told Fox News Digital.
Neuer said Tsikhanouski’s message to the U.N. was “a direct challenge to the regimes that continue to silence their critics.”
A freed Siarhei Tsikhanouski holds a photo of himself taken before he was held behind bars for more than five years. (Office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya via X)
Thursday, June 26, also marks the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Tsikhanouskaya wrote on X to mark the occasion and shared a photo illustrating the effects that five years in prison had on her husband.
“Today is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. My husband survived five years of isolation and cruelty in the Belarus regime’s prisons. Many others still endure it. If we had given up, Siarhei wouldn’t be free. That’s why we keep going—until everyone is home,” Tsikhanouskaya wrote.
According to NPR, Tsikhanouski lost more than 41% of his body weight. He went into prison weighing 298 pounds but weighed just 174 pounds when he was released on June 21.
In response to a request for comment on Tsikhanouski’s statement, UN Human Rights Council spokesperson Pascal Sim directed Fox News Digital to a recording of the hearing, particularly Muižnieks’ remarks.
The U.N. Human Rights Office also directed Fox News Digital to Muižnieks’ statement.
