In April 2021, Youras returned to his hotel after having lunch with a friend in Moscow to find four men waiting outside for him. They pulled a hood over his head and forced him into a car, then fleed the country with Youras. Then men drove over 400 miles to deliver Youras to Minsk, Belarus. The Belarus government made ridiculous claims that Youras was part of a plot against the government. In reality, Youras was critical of Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, and Lukashenkno wanted to silence him. Youras has been wrongfully detained in Belarus ever since his abduction. He was convicted in a secret trial without evidence and the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania has only recently been allowed to visit him in prison. Youras’s family is concerned with his health. The U.S. government must do more to secure the release of this champion of freedom and democracy.
