US EditionFreed Belarusian opposition politician who refused deportation is back in prison, report says
Nikolai Statkevich declined exile to Lithuania after his release among 52 political prisoners freed under a Minsk-Washington deal, leading to his re-imprisonment in Belarus.
- On 11 September 2025, Belarusian opposition figure Mikalai Statkevich was freed as part of a political agreement that secured the release of 52 political detainees.
- Statkevich had served a 14-year sentence since his 2020 arrest for organizing mass unrest and refused exile after release.
- He declined crossing into Lithuania with other released prisoners, stayed in a border neutral zone, and was forcibly detained again by masked men.
- "The ongoing lack of information about Statkevich’s fate is profoundly worrying," stated Amnesty International’s Maria Guryeva, calling for his immediate release.
- Statkevich’s reimprisonment highlights continued politically motivated detentions in Belarus despite recent prisoner releases in exchange for U.S. sanctions relief.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Belarus: Released prisoner Mikalai Statkevich forcibly disappeared after refusing to be exiled
Reacting to the Belarusian authorities’ refusal to disclose the fate and whereabouts of the recently released opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich, Maria Guryeva, Amnesty International’s Senior Campaigner, said: “The ongoing lack of information about Mikalai Statkevich’s fate and whereabouts is profoundly worrying. He has not been seen since he was taken to the border with Lithuania where he refused to go into exile, after being released fro…
The fate of this former presidential candidate is still uncertain. He was reportedly sent back to prison after refusing the pardon obtained under an agreement between Washington and Minsk, according to an opposition media.
Nikolay Statkevich could have left Belarus thanks to a deal with the United States. But he did not want to leave. Now the sick opponent is back in the penal colony.
Released by President Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian opposition activist Nikolai Statkevich refused to go to Lithuania. Now he is said to be in prison again.
Belarusian opposition politician Nikolai Statkevich sent back to prison after refusing to leave country following release
Belarusian opposition figure and political prisoner Nikolai Statkevich has been sent back to the penal colony where he was previously held, after refusing to leave the country following his release last week, the independent outlet Nasha Niva reported. Statkevich’s release was part of a deal between Minsk and Washington under which Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed to free 52 political prisoners. While the majority were transferre…
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