Mikola Statkevich released after more than five years in Belarusian prison
He refused exile unlike other 52 prisoners freed in US-brokered deal
Currently recovering from stroke that has affected his speech
Over 1,000 political prisoners remain in Belarus according to rights groups
📖 Full Retelling
Belarus has released jailed veteran opposition politician Mikola Statkevich, who refused to go into exile last year in a US-brokered prisoner release, with the 69-year-old now recovering from a stroke at home, his wife Marina Adamovich confirmed on Thursday. Statkevich had spent more than five years behind bars after receiving a 14-year sentence for organizing what the authorities called 'mass riots' in 2020-21, following his unsuccessful presidential run against Alexander Lukashenko in 2010. The release comes as part of a broader agreement where the United States pledged to relieve some sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia in exchange for freeing political prisoners. Statkevich notably distinguished himself from other released prisoners by choosing to remain in his homeland rather than accepting exile, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the Belarusian opposition movement. Despite his health challenges, including speech impairment following his stroke, his wife expressed hope for his recovery while acknowledging the difficulties they face during this transitional period. The situation in Belarus remains precarious with rights groups reporting that over 1,000 political prisoners still languish in jail, highlighting the ongoing human rights concerns in the country under Lukashenko's authoritarian rule since 1994.
🏷️ Themes
Political Prisoners, Belarus Opposition, Human Rights
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an area of 207,600 square kilometres (80,200 sq mi) with a po...
Leader of the largest faction of a legislature that is not in government
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically seen as an alternative prime minister (or other similar off...
Belarusian lieutenant colonel, politician, & pro-democracy activist (born 1956)
Mikola Viktaravich Statkevich (Belarusian: Мікола Віктаравіч Статкевіч, Russian: Николай Викторович Статкевич, romanized: Nikolai Viktorovich Statkevich; born 12 August 1956) is a Belarusian politician, and opposition leader who was a presidential candidate at the 2010 Belarusian presidential electi...
Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suffer exile, but sometimes social entities li...
A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention.
There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although numerous similar definitions have been proposed by various o...
Veteran dissident who refused exile released 14 minutes ago Share Save Jaroslav Lukiv Share Save Belarus has released jailed veteran opposition politician Mikola Statkevich, who refused to go into exile last year in a US-brokered prisoner release. The 69-year-old was now at home and recovering from a stroke which had affected his speech, his wife Marina Adamovich said. Statkevich spent more than five years behind bars after receiving a 14-year sentence for organising what the authorities called "mass riots" in 2020-21. He had run unsuccessfully against Alexander Lukashenko in a 2010 presidential poll. More than 1,000 political prisoners remain in jail in Belarus, rights groups say. "He is at home, recovering," Adamovich said on Thursday. "I really hope that everything will be fine. The main problem at the moment is his speech. It's bad, it's difficult to have a conversation." Meanwhile, exiled Belarusian leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said she was relieved that Statkevich "is free and able to hug his wife, who waited for him for so long". "I want to thank everyone who keeps fighting to release all political prisoners in Belarus. We must continue until every last one is free," she added in a post on X. Statkevich was one of 52 prisoners freed last year in Belarus , following an appeal from US President Donald Trump. They were jailed in 2020-21, when Lukashenko brutally stamped out protests after claiming victory in presidential elections that were widely condemned as rigged. Most agreed to be sent abroad into exile. Statkevich was the only one who refused to leave the country. In exchange for the prisoner release, the US pledged to relieve some sanctions on Belarusian airline Belavia, allowing it to buy parts for its aircraft. Belarus is a close ally of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Lukashenko has been in power in Belarus since 1994, quashing all opposition. I lost half my weight in jail, but I'm not broken, says freed Belar...
