Belarus Catholic journalist freed after personal appeal by Trump

Ihar Losik, a young Catholic imprisoned for more than five years in Belarus, has been freed. The journalist was released along with dozens of other political detainees following negotiations with the United States.

Losik, 33, was among 52 prisoners freed on 11 September and taken to safety in Lithuania after talks between American officials and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The release followed a personal appeal by President Donald Trump, who urged Lukashenko to free the detainees in exchange for sanctions relief.

A native of Baranavichy, Losik first came to prominence as a blogger and later became a freelance contributor to Radio Svoboda, the Belarusian service of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). His reporting and social media activity drew the attention of the authorities in the run-up to the disputed 2020 presidential election in Belarus, after which he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of incitement and preparing to participate in riots.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, recognised him as a prisoner of conscience. During his imprisonment, he endured long periods in solitary confinement and is reported to have suffered severe physical and psychological strain. He staged hunger strikes in protest at his treatment and once attempted to harm himself in front of investigators.

Losik, a practising Catholic, wrote a letter to Pope Francis in 2021, urging him to speak out for those imprisoned under Lukashenko’s regime. His wife, Daria, was herself sentenced in 2022 to two years in prison for protesting his detention, though she was released in July 2024 under a mass amnesty. The couple have a daughter, Paulina, who was just a baby when Losik was first arrested.

Since his release, Losik has been reunited in Lithuania with his younger brother Mikita, who had fled Belarus after facing arrest. It is not yet clear if he has been able to see his wife and daughter.

In a statement, RFE/RL president Stephen Capus welcomed the release of Losik and other journalists, thanking the US administration, Lithuanian authorities, and press freedom advocates for their support.

Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has long faced accusations of political repression, with tens of thousands detained in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Catholics, who make up about a tenth of the population, have also been targeted, with some arrested for peaceful activities such as running prayer groups or online forums.

Losik’s release brings to a close one of the most high-profile cases of persecution of Catholic journalists under the Lukashenko regime.

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Photo credit: RFE/RL