Belarus frees American torturé after five-month ordeal
Russian television station Dozhd revealed that the U.S. citizen released by the Belarusian regime is 56-year-old Nikolai Shugayev. The man spent five months in prison on political charges. The information was confirmed by "The New York Times."
Nikolai Shugayev, who holds citizenship in both the U.S. and Ukraine, was released from a Belarusian prison after five months. According to Russian television Dozhd, his release came after talks between a U.S. State Department representative and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Shugayev was detained in September 2024 for allegedly disseminating extremist materials.
He was reportedly tortured in prison
While in custody, he was held in Novopolotsk and later transferred to the KGB detention center in Minsk. He was accused of publicly insulting the President of Belarus in connection with a comment on Instagram. Nikolai Shugayev, who lost 44 pounds and is suspected of having tuberculosis, is currently in a clinic in Texas, receiving treatment for health issues acquired during his imprisonment. He described the conditions in the Belarusian prison as terrible, claiming he was tortured.
Shugayev's release resulted from talks between the U.S. and Belarus, which took place on February 12. As reported by "The New York Times," these negotiations also led to the release of two Belarusian political prisoners.
