He sparked Belarus’ 2020 protests and brought his wife into politics, then spent five years in prison as she became the country’s opposition leader. Now he’s her loudest critic.

Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a blogger whose campaigning helped mobilise Belarusian protesters in 2020, has tried to reclaim a role in opposition politics since his release from prison in 2025. His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, became the opposition’s leading figure after running in his place and leaving Belarus; his recent public criticism of her has attracted attention, but has not restored his influence.

Tsikhanouski was detained before the 2020 election and spent five years in prison, while Tsikhanouskaya built ties with Western leaders and led the democratic opposition from abroad. After his release, he sought 200,000 euros for a campaign against Lukashenko’s rule but did not reach the target, and he clashed with his wife’s advisers. Public disputes included his preventing her from taking part in a CNN interview and his claim that her office had not helped him obtain a visa for an award ceremony; he later expressed respect and love for her.