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A freed political prisoner refuses to be deported from Belarus and promptly vanishes
Mikalai Statkevich vanished after defying forced deportation in a U.S.-brokered prisoner release, highlighting ongoing repression of Belarusian political prisoners, with 1,200 still detained, activists say.
- Last month, Mikalai Statkevich vanished after defiantly exiting a bus to refuse deportation at the Kamenny Loh border crossing, and he has not been seen since.
- President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 52 political prisoners as part of a deal that followed a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, coinciding with eased sanctions on Belavia last month.
- Statkevich forced the bus door open, left behind heart medication, and got off rather than accept deportation, while surveillance footage showed six masked security forces escorting him back at Kamenny Loh with Maksim Viniarski.
- United Nations experts said there are solid reasons to believe Statkevich is a victim of enforced disappearance and Maryna Adamovich received no confirmation about his condition or location.
- The disappearance underscores broader human rights concerns as Belarus has been sanctioned for violations and more than 65,000 arrested after 2020; Viasna says about 1,200 political prisoners remain, including Mikalai Statkevich.
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25 Articles
25 Articles
Dozens of political prisoners pardoned by the authoritarian leader of Belarus sat on a bus waiting to cross the border with Lithuania last month, minutes from freedom. Suddenly, one of them rose, forced the door and got off, defiantly refusing to leave his homeland in what he called forced deportation.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources25
Leaning Left8Leaning Right3Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Left
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources lean Left
44% Left
L 44%
C 39%
R 17%
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