The tragic fate of Nikolai Statkevich

Nikolay Statkevich is chairman of the social democratic party banned in Belarus Narodnaya Gromada. A few months before the falsified 2020 presidential election, the politician was kidnapped in broad daylight by the KGB secret service. After a year and a half in pre-trial detention, he was sentenced to 14 years in a monster trial against several opposition members in December 2021.

Initially, there was still contact with his wife Marina Adamovich. She regularly published letters from her husband on social media. She also commented personally on recent developments in the country terrorised by dictator Alexander Lukashenko. A new wave of repression started in January this year. Many relatives of prominent prisoners were rounded up, including Adamovich, who spent 14 days in jail for no reason. Since then, she too has been off the radar. She avoids publicity and contact with the press.

The underground resistance organisation Bypol consists of police and judiciary personnel working in secret to end the dictatorial regime and bring about democratic reforms. Through spokesman Aleksandr Azarov, an ex-detective who was able to flee to Poland, crimes committed by Lukashenko's justice system are meticulously recorded.

According to Azarov, Nikolai Statkevich is being physically and mentally destroyed by the camp leadership of Glubokoje on Lukashenko's orders. The camp in northern Belarus is known as one of the most brutal in the country. For Statkevich, the situation is even more harrowing: complete isolation from the other prisoners, no visits and no contact with the outside world.

After being briefly informed of his father's death in an extremely cynical manner, the social democratic leader was again sent to solitary confinement. According to penitentiary staff on the spot, material is being gathered for a new case for "systematic disobedience and malicious violation of the prison regime". In practice, that means adding 1-2 years' imprisonment to the existing 14 years. Adamovich was already deeply concerned about her husband's deteriorating health condition a year ago.

The last sign of life received by Marina Adamovich is now 400 days back.