{"id":176533,"date":"2026-02-20T13:54:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T10:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"eu-delegation-welcomes-statkievics-release-urges-minsk-to-free-all-jailed-dissidents","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Delegation welcomes Statkievi\u010d\u2019s release, urges Minsk to free all jailed dissidents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n  <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n  <figcaption>\n  \n       <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                <span>(Alexey Larionov \/ unsplash.com)<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n     <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>February 20, <em>Pozirk<\/em>. <\/strong>The European Union Delegation to Belarus has welcomed the release of Belarusian opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d in a post on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe understand that Mr Statkievi\u010d recently faced a life-threatening health condition while in custody, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery,\u201d the diplomats noted. \u201cWe also take note of the release of political prisoner Natalla Levaja, who is due to give birth in March. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rights defenders reported on Statkievi\u010d\u2019s release yesterday, citing his wife Maryna Adamovi\u010d. The prominent regime critic was released at the request of his family after suffering a stroke, &nbsp;Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s spokeswoman Natalla Eijsmant has told Russia\u2019s <em>RIA Novosti<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Statkievi\u010d was arrested ahead of the 2020 presidential election and then sentenced to a lengthy prison term on charges widely seen as politically motivated. In 2022, Belarusian authorities designated him as an \u201cextremist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UN officials have repeatedly contacted Minsk regarding the alleged ill-treatment of the politician in prison, including incommunicado detention, and \u201cthe devastating effect of this ill-treatment on his health due to his advanced age.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As of February 20, human rights defenders identified at least 1,143 political prisoners in Belarus, but the real number is considerably higher because many cases go undocumented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n                                <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Society<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Society<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">\u0141uka\u0161enka pardons pregnant woman sentenced for donations<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">February 19, Pozirk. Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka by his edict has pardoned Natalla Levaja, a 39-year old pregnant woman sentenced to six years in prison in July 2024 for donations to opposition groups and Ukraine support initiatives. Levaja was arrested on her &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/176423\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read the article<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>February 20, Pozirk. The European Union Delegation to Belarus has welcomed the release of Belarusian opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d in a post on Facebook. \u201cWe understand that Mr Statkievi\u010d recently faced a life-threatening health condition while in custody, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery,\u201d the diplomats noted. \u201cWe also take note of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":130261,"template":"","rubric":[16],"class_list":["post-176533","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>EU Delegation welcomes Statkievi\u010d\u2019s release, urges Minsk to free all jailed dissidents | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"February 20, Pozirk. The European Union Delegation to Belarus has welcomed the release of Belarusian opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d in a post on\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EU Delegation welcomes Statkievi\u010d\u2019s release, urges Minsk to free all jailed dissidents | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"February 20, Pozirk. The European Union Delegation to Belarus has welcomed the release of Belarusian opposition politician Mika\u0142aj Statkievi\u010d in a post on\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-10T12:05:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1128\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"752\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Pozirk_online\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/\"},\"headline\":\"EU Delegation welcomes Statkievi\u010d\u2019s release, urges Minsk to free all jailed dissidents\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-20T10:54:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-10T12:05:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/\"},\"wordCount\":227,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/\",\"name\":\"EU Delegation welcomes Statkievi\u010d\u2019s release, urges Minsk to free all jailed dissidents | Pozirk\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/176533\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/flag_es_alexey_larionov_unsplash_1128x752.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-20T10:54:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-10T12:05:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"February 20, Pozirk. 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