US Edition
Belarus Frees Opposition Politician Statkevich After Stroke in Custody
Statkevich, jailed for 14 years for organizing riots, was released on humanitarian grounds after a stroke and now faces speech difficulties during recovery, human rights groups reported.
- Mikalai Statkevich, the veteran opposition politician, was released from custody after suffering a stroke, and his wife confirmed `He is at home, recovering` in Minsk.
- A longtime government critic, Mikalai Statkevich was arrested in 2020, sentenced to 14 years for organising unrest, and after the release of 52 political prisoners in September 2025, he refused forced exile at the Lithuania–Belarus border and was secretly returned to a penal colony.
- Family members reported Statkevich suffered a stroke in custody, causing severe speech problems, after spending weeks in a prison hospital and enduring isolation and repeated COVID infections.
- Amnesty International said freeing Mikalai Statkevich after a stroke highlights profound injustice, while Viasna human rights group reported more than 1,000 political prisoners remain and called for unconditional releases.
- The release followed a US-brokered prisoner release that freed 52 prisoners and included US easing of sanctions on Belavia, highlighting Belarus's repression under President Lukashenko and its ties to Russia.
58 Articles
58 Articles
Belarus: Prisoner of conscience Mikalai Statkevich’s release after a stroke highlights need for justice for human rights violations
Responding to the release of the Belarusian opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich, detained since 2020, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said: “Our relief at Mikalai Statkevich’s release is tempered by our indignation at the profound injustice and personal injury he has suffered during years behind bars serving an unfounded prison sentence, much of it in prolonged isolation. The latter is in v…
Oskaloosa Herald
Belarusian politician Mikola Statkevich released from prison after stroke
Belarus has released opposition politician Mikola Statkevich after he suffered a stroke in prison, his wife says. On Friday, she told the AP he has trouble speaking but is recovering. Statkevich returned to prison in September after he refused to…
In January of this year, he suffered a stroke.
In Belarus, Dissident Statkevich was released from prison.
Opposition member and former presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich has been released from prison in Belarus. According to his wife, he is recovering from the effects of a stroke. This was reported by the human rights organization Viasna and opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Statkevich is experiencing speech problems due to the stroke, his wife said. The 69-year-old opposition member is one of the fiercest opponents of President Lukas…
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