Mikałaj Statkevič

Mikola Viktaravich Statkevich (born 12 August 1956) is a Belarusian politician, and opposition leader who was a presidential candidate at the 2010 Belarusian presidential election. Since 31 May 2020 he was held in prison by Belarusian authorities. Viasna Human Rights Centre recognized him as a political prisoner. On 14 December 2021, Statkevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was released on 11 September 2025 as part of a deal between the Belarusian government and the United States, but he refused to be deported to Lithuania and was returned to the penal colony. Following a stroke, he was again released on 19 February 2026.