An American detained in Belarus has been freed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Wednesday, marking a rare diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Minsk amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to repatriate Americans wrongfully imprisoned abroad.
“No president has done so much, so quickly, to keep Americans safe abroad,” Rubio wrote in an April 30 post on social media platform X.
While Rubio did not identify the individual by name, his wife confirmed to media outlets that the person released is Youras Ziankovich, a naturalized U.S. citizen and pro-democracy advocate who had been imprisoned in Belarus since 2021.
“I knew this day would come. It took 1,480 days, but he survived and is on his way home to me and to America,” Ziankovich’s wife, Alena Dzenisavets, told CNN. “I want to thank President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Special Envoy Boehler and the SPEHA staff. I also want to express my appreciation to Rep. Morgan Luttrell and the nonprofits Global Reach and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation for their help advocating for Youras.”…