Former political prisoner Mikola Statkevich returns to Belarus after spending several hours in “neutral zone” on border with Lithuania

Former political prisoner Mikola Statkevich, who was freed from a Belarusian jail earlier today on the orders of Alexander Lukashenko, has returned to the country that imprisoned him. Statkevich remained in the “neutral zone” on the border with Lithuania, refusing to enter the European Union, according to a report by the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.

Gedrius Mišutis, a spokesperson for Lithuania's State Border Guard Service, said several Belarusian soldiers accompanied Statkevich as he made his way back, though he walked on his own.

Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that Statkevich chose to stay in Belarus.

“I can confirm that there is one person who wants to stay. He is currently in the territory of Belarus, he is not in the territory of Lithuania,” Kristina Belikova, spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Kęstutis Budrys, confirmed to the ELTA news agency.

The outlet Reform.news quoted Franak Viacorka, an adviser to opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, as urging journalists to “wait with names” of those released earlier today.

“Friends, let’s wait with [the] names. We are waiting for everyone and will publish the list once they cross the border. There are certain difficulties. Fingers crossed,” he said, likely referring to the situation with Statkevich.

The human rights group Viasna told The Insider that “a man strongly resembling Mikalai Statkevich is indeed sitting in the neutral zone.” He could be seen on surveillance footage.

The independent newspaper Nasha Niva first published a screenshot of CCTV footage from the border showing a man, dressed in prison clothing, believed to be Statkevich. He was pictured from behind. The outlet then released a second image after Statkevich had turned around. This latter image allowed the journalists to identify him.

“Yes, this is Mikola Statkevich. Dressed in a prison uniform, he refuses to leave Belarus,” Nasha Niva wrote.

Denis Kuchynski, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, also confirmed to independent Russian outlet Dozhd that the man was indeed Statkevich.

“I was at the neutral zone. Unfortunately, our hero Statkevich is no longer there. He returned to Belarus. Of course, it is a serious step. And without question, those who are freed must have the right to either remain in Belarus or leave. He chose to return,” Kuchynski said.

Statkevich, a retired lieutenant colonel and chairman of the Belarusian Social Democrats party, ran for president in 2010. He was detained before the 2020 presidential race and sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2021, spending his entire incarceration completely isolated from the outside world.

A total of 52 political prisoners were released from Belarusian prisons on Friday. The move followed dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s meeting with John Coale, a representative of U.S. President Donald Trump. At the talks, Lukashenko referred to the political prisoners as “hostages” and proposed a “big deal” with Washington.

Following the release, the U.S. eased some sanctions on Minsk, including those on flag carrier airline Belavia, which will now be able to service its planes using American-made parts.

The Financial Times cited Coale as saying: “It is official, we lifted sanctions from Belavia. I had a meeting with [U.S. President Donald] Trump . . . and he said: do it immediately. We very much want to normalise bilateral relations, and we are ready to do everything to make this normalization happen.”

The “normalization” of the relationship would include economic cooperation as well as the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Minsk, which Coale said “will happen in the very near future.”