Дмитрий Куделевич с сыном в больнице
A 23-year-old Belarusian Yakau has been in a coma in a hospital in Czechia since mid-April following a suicide attempt, Radio Svaboda reports. His father is Dzmitry Kudzielevich, one of the former leaders of the Belaruskali strike committee, who now lives in Poland.
At first, he did not disclose what had happened to his son, but later decided to make the tragedy public. According to the father, in addition to personal problems (a breakup with his girlfriend), the young man was affected by the Czech Interior Ministry’s refusal to grant international protection and by the fear of deportation to Belarus.
Yakau was forced to leave the country at the age of 17 after the 2020 protests. For three years he studied biotechnology at a university in Ostrava, then realized the field was not for him and dropped out. After that, he took on various jobs and attempted to continue his education in Prague. Facing legalization issues, Yakau applied for international protection, as both he and his father had participated in protests in Belarus and were forced to leave. The Czech Interior Ministry denied his application.
According to Dzmitry, in early April his son stopped responding. He began searching for him through acquaintances. Yakau was found unconscious on the floor in his room at a reception center for migrants seeking international protection. According to doctors, he had taken a number of medications and had been unconscious for about a day. The young man was urgently taken to hospital. He remains in a coma and is on a ventilator.
The father fears that due to his son’s uncertain legal status, his insurance coverage may expire and the family will have to pay for treatment themselves.
“Returning to Belarus was more frightening for Yakau than death. Pressure from the Belarusian authorities was linked to attempts to influence his father, who fled Belarus due to political persecution,” said the family’s lawyer, who asked not to be named.
He has filed a lawsuit to challenge the refusal of protection. According to him, deportation is impossible while Yakau remains in a coma.
Lawyer Ales Mikhalevich, a member of the Czech Bar Association, explained that obtaining refugee status largely depends on how well a particular official is informed about the situation in Belarus. It is especially difficult to prove persecution through relatives, he noted. According to him, Belarusians will face similar problems, particularly in countries where there is significantly less information about Belarus than in Czechia.
The Office of Belarusian Democratic Forces in Czechia has been in contact with the hospital and the family from the first days, organized additional medical consultations and involved migration lawyers. Part of the funds previously raised for another Belarusian who faced similar difficulties in obtaining protection in Czechia will be directed to provide legal assistance to Yakau, said the head of the Office Kristina Shyienok.
“We all sincerely hope for his recovery,” she said.