Just hours after news broke that Belarusian dissident Siarhei Tsikhanouski had been released from prison and relocated to Lithuania, AP reporter Yuras Karmanau was on a plane to Vilnius.
Karmanau had long covered Tsikhanouski’s story—from his arrest five years earlier, to the rise of his wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, as a leading opposition figure in Belarus, the disputed 2020 election, mass protests, the violent crackdown, and Tsikhanouskaya’s exile in Lithuania. Years of source-building and deep knowledge of the region positioned Karmanau to move quickly.
He secured AP the first in-depth, all-formats sit-down interview with Tsikhanouski—a full day ahead of other outlets, which reported only from the dissident’s press conference.
Karmanau produced a vivid, detail-rich report on Tsikhanouski’s years in prison and his reflections on the political and personal costs of resistance in Belarus.
The interview was a significant global exclusive, made possible by Karmanau’s expertise, speed, and commitment to delivering exclusive, high-impact journalism under pressure.
Related articles
