Mikalai Statkevich, a prominent Belarusian opposition politician, has been released from prison according to reports from his wife. The 69-year-old dissident had been incarcerated for several months, having declined to leave Belarus during a U.S.-brokered prisoner exchange that involved several detainees. This release comes amidst ongoing tensions in Belarus regarding human rights and political freedoms, where many dissenters are silenced.