Belarus Releases Opposition Politician Mikola Statkevich After Stroke
Belarusian opposition politician Mikola Statkevich, 69, has been released from prison after suffering a stroke although in custody, his wife Marina Adamovich announced on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Statkevich had refused exile following a US-brokered prisoner release in September 2025 and was subsequently re-imprisoned.
Refusal of Exile and Subsequent Imprisonment
In September 2025, Statkevich was among 52 prisoners freed in Belarus following an appeal from US President Donald Trump [Reuters]. However, unlike the others, he refused to be deported to Lithuania and remained in Belarus, leading to his re-arrest [BBC News].
Health Condition and Recovery
Statkevich suffered a stroke on January 21st, spending three weeks in intensive care at a prison hospital in Kolyadichy [themercury.com]. He is now recovering at home, though his speech has been significantly affected, making conversation difficult [themercury.com]. His wife stated, “He is at home, recovering. I really hope that everything will be fine. The main problem at the moment is his speech. It’s awful, it’s difficult to have a conversation.” [themercury.com].
Political Background
Statkevich has been a prominent figure in Belarus’s opposition movement since the 1990s and ran against Alexander Lukashenko in the 2010 presidential election [themercury.com]. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for organizing what authorities termed “mass riots” in 2020-21 [BBC News].
Continued Political Repression in Belarus
Despite Statkevich’s release, more than 1,000 political prisoners remain incarcerated in Belarus, according to rights groups such as Viasna [swedenherald.com] and [BBC News]. These individuals were largely detained following the disputed 2020 re-election of Lukashenko and face politically motivated charges.
Reactions to the Release
Exiled Belarusian leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya expressed relief at Statkevich’s release, stating, “I desire to thank everyone who keeps fighting to release all political prisoners in Belarus. We must continue until every last one is free.” [Reuters]