Then, U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, easing sanctions against Belarus in exchange for the release of political prisoners following booze-fueled negotiations between Lukashenko and an American envoy. Andreeva’s release in March came ahead of what Lukashenko has described as a potential “big deal” with the U.S., which is ostensibly designed to lure him away from Russia’s orbit.
Andreeva is grateful. In one of her first interviews after being released, she thanked the U.S. president “first of all.” And yet, she told POLITICO, this is no happy ending. More than two dozen journalists remain incarcerated in Belarus — among them her husband, Ihar Ilyash, who is currently serving a four-year sentence.
Out of the 1,300 prisoners Trump promised would be released, so far only 500 have been let go, leaving hundreds behind. “These people are waiting to be freed,” said Andreeva, whose dramatic story has now inspired an HBO film.
Speaking from Warsaw, where she now lives in exile, she described the impossible trade-off between holding tyrannical leaders accountable and saving individual lives, including that of her husband.
“By releasing me but keeping him in prison, they have created a situation where I feel they’ve kept a hostage,” she said. “I will only truly feel free once my husband is back by my side.”
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.