TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian politician Mikola Statkevich, who was put back in prison after refusing to leave the country as part of a U.S.-brokered release of political prisoners, has been released after suffering a stroke.
Statkevich’s wife, Maryna Adamovich, said Friday that he has trouble speaking from a stroke. “Now he’s recovering and gaining strength,” she told The Associated Press in a phone interview from the Belarusian capital.
kAm(96? q6=2CFDV 2FE9@C:E2C:2? !C6D:56?E p=6I2?56C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^2=6I2?56C\=F<2D96?<@Qm{F<2D96?<@k^2m A2C5@?65 da A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD 😕 $6AE6>36C 2?5 E96J H6C6 E2<6? E@ E96 {:E9F2?:2? 3@C56C[ $E2E<6G:49[ eh 42==65 E96 8@G6C?>6?E’D 24E:@?D 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^36=2CFD\A@=:E:42=\AC:D@?6CD\56A@CE65\7_d3df`e6_d7fbee`h37hggf4a`3b3edQm“7@C465 56A@CE2E:@?[”k^2m AFD965 9:D H2J @FE @7 E96 3FD 2?5 DE2J65 7@C D6G6C2= 9@FCD 😕 E96 ?@\>2?’D =2?5 36EH66? E96 3@C56CD 367@C6 36:?8 E2<6? 2H2J 3J q6=2CFD:2? A@=:46 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^36=2CFD\>:<@=2\DE2E<6G:49\:>AC:D@?65\ECF>A\562=\dbfch63345`c42h7age_b_c_cdcc4h_5QmC6EFC?65 E@ AC:D@?k^2m]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D D6CG:?8 2 `c\J62C AC:D@? D6?E6?46 27E6C 9:D 2CC6DE 😕 a_a_ @? 492C86D @7 @C82?:K:?8 >2DD F?C6DE 😕 2 42D6 E92E 9F>2? C:89ED 8C@FAD[ :?4=F5:?8 p>?6DEJ x?E6C?2E:@?2=[ 92G6 56D4C:365 2D A@=:E:42==J >@E:G2E65]k^Am
kAm{F<2D96?<@’D DA@<6DH@>2? }2E2=:2 t:D>@?E D2:5 uC:52J E92E E96 q6=2CFD:2? =6256C 925 @C56C65 E96 C6=62D6 @7 $E2E<6G:49 3642FD6 @7 9:D 4@?5:E:@? 😕 C6DA@?D6 E@ 9:D 72>:=J’D C6BF6DED]k^Am
kAm{F<2D96?<@[ ?:42>65 “tFC@A6’D =2DE 5:4E2E@C[” 92D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^36=2CFD\6=64E:@?\=F<2D96?<@\4C24<5@H?\6h753`e2fa`_aabec47d`_g47d6hcfeaQmCF=65 q6=2CFD 7@C @G6C E9C66 564256Dk^2m[ >2:?E2:?:?8 9:D 8C:A @? A@H6C E9C@F89 C6=6?E=6DD 4C24<5@H? @? 5:DD6?E] u@==@H:?8 E96 a_a_ A@DE\6=64E:@? AC@E6DED E92E D2H 9F?5C65D @7 E9@FD2?5D E2<6 E@ E96 DEC66ED[ >@C6 E92? ed[___ A6@A=6 H6C6 2CC6DE65[ E9@FD2?5D H6C6 362E6?[ 2?5 9F?5C65D @7 :?56A6?56?E >65:2 @FE=6ED 2?5 ?@?8@G6C?>6?E2= @C82?:K2E:@?D H6C6 4=@D65 2?5 @FE=2H65]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.