Belarus: Where is Mikalai Statkevich? Amnesty International Demands Accountability After Apparent Forced Disappearance
September 15, 2025 - Amnesty International is urgently calling on the Belarusian authorities too instantly disclose the fate and whereabouts of prominent opposition politician Mikalai Statkevich, following credible reports suggesting he has been re-imprisoned after refusing forced exile. This incident underscores the deeply entrenched and worsening human rights crisis in Belarus under the leadership of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, and casts a dark shadow over recent prisoner releases widely perceived as politically motivated.
Statkevich, a long-time critic of the Belarusian government, was released on September 11th, 2025, as part of a deal brokered with the United States that saw 52 prisoners freed in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against Belarusian state airline Belavia. He had been serving a 14-year sentence on politically fabricated charges of “organizing mass unrest.” However,his freedom proved fleeting.
The following day, Belarusian authorities attempted to deport Statkevich and the other released prisoners to Lithuania. Statkevich vehemently refused, declaring his commitment to continuing the fight for democracy in Belarus. Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage confirm he physically resisted deportation, exiting the transport bus in the neutral zone at the border before being forcibly detained by masked security personnel.
Since then, Belarusian authorities have remained silent, refusing to confirm or deny his location. Reports from Nasha Niva, a respected independent Belarusian media outlet operating in exile, indicate Statkevich has been returned to the Hlybokaye penal colony - the same strict-regime facility where he was previously held.
“The ongoing silence surrounding Mikalai Statkevich is profoundly alarming,” states Maria Guryeva, Senior campaigner at Amnesty International. “To be released from a politically motivated imprisonment only to seemingly vanish at the border, after exercising his right to remain in his homeland, is a textbook case of forced disappearance. His safety must be guaranteed, and his continued detention, if confirmed, must end immediately. He shoudl never have been imprisoned in the first place, nor denied the basic right to live freely in his own country.”
A Pattern of Repression Continues
This incident is not an isolated event.Amnesty International, along with organizations like the Human Rights Centre Viasna and the Belarusian Investigative Centre, have documented a disturbing trend of escalating repression in Belarus. While the release of 52 prisoners was welcomed, it represents a cynical tactic by the Belarusian government, not a genuine commitment to justice.
Data reveals a stark reality: between June 21st and September 11th, 2025, Belarusian authorities released 53 individuals imprisoned for political reasons (excluding Statkevich). However, during the same period, 103 others were newly deprived of their liberty on equally spurious charges. as of today, over 1,160 individuals remain unjustly imprisoned in belarus for exercising their fundamental human rights.
“The Belarusian authorities are using people imprisoned for their beliefs as bargaining chips on the international stage,” Guryeva emphasizes.“This is unacceptable. The international community must not be misled by these superficial gestures of goodwill. True progress requires the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and an end to the systematic persecution of dissent.”
Amnesty International’s Demands:
* Immediate disclosure: The Belarusian authorities must immediately and publicly disclose the whereabouts of Mikalai Statkevich and confirm his safety.
* End to Detention: If Statkevich is being detained, he must be released immediately and unconditionally.
* Unconditional Release of All Political Prisoners: The Belarusian government must immediately and unconditionally release all individuals imprisoned for exercising their human rights.
* End Forced Exile: The practice of forcing individuals into exile as a condition of release must cease.
* Independent Examination: An independent and impartial investigation must be launched into the circumstances surrounding Statkevich’s detention and the broader pattern of political repression in Belarus.
Background:
Amnesty International has been documenting human rights violations in Belarus for decades. Our research consistently demonstrates a pattern of arbitrary arrests, torture, and unfair trials targeting political opponents, journalists, and human rights defenders. The institution continues to advocate for accountability for perpetrators of human rights abuses and for a fundamental shift towards respect for human rights and the rule of law in Belarus.
Resources:
* [Amnesty International Report: Belarus – Release of 52 prisoners welcome but without accountability, repression persists](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/09/
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