Alexander Lukashenko, the autocratic leader of Belarus who claimed victory in another election derided as a sham, played a "dirty game" in releasing an American hostage to coincide with the ballot, the country's opposition has told Newsweek.
Newsweek reached out to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Lukashenko—Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally—said he had won 86 percent of the vote in Sunday's ballot that has been condemned internationally as neither free nor fair, as he sealed a seventh term in office.
The day before, Belarus released American citizen Anastassia Nuhfer, who had been arrested in December 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Franak Viačorka, senior adviser to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition politician who ran against Lukashenko in 2020, said that Belarus' leader had allowed the release so sanctions could be eased.
Viačorka accused Lukashenko of taking prisoners in a policy of "human trafficking" to extract concessions from the West. In denounced the elections as a "farce," he also said the biggest talking point for Belarusians was when Lukashenko's dog urinated at the polling station as the leader cast his vote.
Why It Matters
Lukashenko has allowed Putin to use Belarus as a staging post for attacks on Ukraine, further isolating him from the international community.
The Belarusian opposition said Lukashenko intended the release of the American prisoner as a message to the West to ease sanctions and that the haste of the election, where there were no international observers, showed that the Belarusian leader felt that his hold on power was fragile.
What To Know
Rubio announced on Saturday that Minsk had "unilaterally" released Nuhfer from detention without providing details on the timing, the reasons for her arrest or whether it involved concessions from the United States.
The U.S. State Department said Nuhfer had been arrested in early December 2024. That month, a consular officer from Washington gained rare access to her in detention, according to the Associated Press.
A former high-ranking Belarusian diplomat told the AP that Nuhfer's arrest was tied to the 2020 protests. These followed the last disputed election, which Tsikhanouskaya was widely seen to have won.
Lukashenko did not free any Belarusian opposition or rights activists, the AP reported, and the country's oldest human rights group, Viasna, has said over 1,250 people remain in jail for opposing the government.
Viačorka told Newsweek on Monday that with the prisoner's release, Lukashenko had wanted to send a message for sanctions to be eased.
Sunday's election result was "nonsense," and there was not any attempt to even pretend it was a fair ballot with no international observers nor any protests allowed, he said, adding that militarized cities showed Lukashenko's fear of protests and his lack of confidence in his hold of power.
The most telling aspect of the elections for many was the action of Lukashenko's dog Umka, who urinated on the wall at the entrance in a moment captured by state television.
"The dog pissed on the polling station, and that is what the whole country was talking about the most," Viačorka said.
What People Are Saying
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on X, formerly Twitter: "Thanks to @POTUS leadership, Belarus just unilaterally released an innocent American, ANASTASSIA Nuhfer, who was taken under JOE BIDEN!"
Franak Viačorka, senior adviser to Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, said of Lukashenko's prisoner release: "This is a dirty, dirty game. Basically, it's human trafficking. He (Lukashenko) arrests not only Belarusians but foreigners to exchange them to foreign governments for some benefit for himself."
What Happens Next
Lukashenko's claims of victory were expected, and it follows closer alignment with Moscow. However, it is unclear whether he can stave off direct involvement in Putin's war, which the opposition says would make him vulnerable given its unpopularity.
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