First released, then imprisoned: why a Belarusian oppositionist ended up in a colony again

Belarusian opposition figure Mykola Statkevich, who was released from prison by the regime of the self-proclaimed president, has been returned to prison.

This was reported by the publication “Nasha Niva”.

As noted, on September 11, after his release, Statkevich refused to cross the border with Lithuania and remained in the neutral zone between the checkpoints.

Later, the political prisoner found himself in captivity again: he was placed in the Hlybotsk correctional colony, where he had been held previously. Other details are currently unknown.

Reference: Mykola Statkevich was a candidate for the presidency of Belarus in 2010. That same year, he took part in a protest, after which he was sentenced to 6 years in prison in a maximum-security colony, and was released in 2015.

He was arrested a second time in May 2020, before the start of mass protests, and sentenced to 14 years in a special regime colony. The oppositionist was accused of organizing mass riots.

As a reminder, Belarus released 52 people who were being held in prisons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against the Belarusian state airline Belavia.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook , Twitter , Telegram , and Instagram.