MINSK, May 1. /TASS/. US national Yury Zinkevich has been released from Belarusian custody, Belarusian Presidential Press Secretary Natalya Eismont confirmed.

"US citizen Yury Zinkevich was released based on a request from the US president's administration. The decision was made. As for whether he had been detained rightly or not, watch his interviews and judge for yourselves," she said, as cited by the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel, which is close to the Belarusian leader's press service.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier that the Belarusian authorities had released a US national; however, he did not provide the person’s name. CNN, in turn, reported, citing a source, that it was Belarusian opposition politician Yury Zenkovich.

On September 5, 2022, the Minsk Regional Court found lawyer Zenkovich, political scientist Alexander Feduta and leader of the Belarusian Popular Front opposition party Grigory Kostusev guilty of conspiracy to seize power and sentenced them to 11, 10, and 10 years in prison, respectively. News came in early July 2024, that Kostusev had been pardoned by the Belarusian president. According to media reports, Zenkovich asked for a presidential pardon in September 2024.