UK Citizen Julia Fenner Released in Belarus Prisoner Exchange

Sat Oct 11 2025 17:26:23 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

British national Julia Fenner, detained in Belarus, has been freed as part of a US-mediated deal that saw the release of 52 political prisoners.

Julia Fenner, a UK-Belarus dual national and wife of a British diplomat, has been released from a Belarusian prison in a US-brokered agreement resulting in the freedom of 52 political prisoners. UK officials hailed the development, but concerns remain as over 1,000 political prisoners are still incarcerated in Belarus.

Julia Fenner, a dual UK-Belarusian citizen and the wife of a British diplomat, has been released from prison in Belarus as part of a broader prisoner exchange deal mediated by the United States. Her release follows her sentencing to a lengthy prison term after being detained while entering Belarus in March 2024.

UK Europe Minister Stephen Doughty announced the news, labeling it great news that a British national has returned home. The agreement also facilitated the release of 51 others, including union leaders, journalists, and political activists, who had been imprisoned under oppressive conditions in Belarus.

In exchange for the prisoners' freedom, the United States agreed to ease some sanctions on the Belarusian airline Belavia, enabling the company to procure aircraft parts. Doughty commended the US for their diplomatic efforts in securing Fenner's release, calling it a significant breakthrough in bilateral relations.

Fenner previously worked at the British embassy in Minsk and had gained the recognition of human rights groups as a political prisoner. Though the Belarusian authorities have yet to clarify the charges against her, she faced allegations of participating in public disorder and aiding extremist activities.

The US-Belarus prisoner exchange involved the release of significant political figures, but concerns linger as an estimated 1,300 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus. Opponents, including Belarus's exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, describe the situation as a forced deportation rather than a true act of freedom, highlighting the ongoing human rights abuses within the country.

Amidst rising political tensions, the Belarusian government, led by Alexander Lukashenko for nearly three decades, has consistently cracked down on dissent, particularly following the controversial elections of 2020. The geopolitical relationship between Belarus and Russia remains tight, exacerbating concerns over regional stability.

In a recent public address, Lukashenko characterized the release of prisoners as a humanitarian gesture and expressed a newfound amicability toward the US, indicating a possible shift in Belarus's diplomatic dynamics.