Statkevich Criticizes Letter by Former Political Prisoners

Reform.news Editorial Team · 28 October 2026, 08:36

https://reform.news/en/statkevich-criticizes-letter-by-former-political-prisoners/

Politician and former political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich criticized a letter by former political prisoners in a post on his Telegram channel. In the letter, they urged European politicians to take more active steps to secure the release of people held in Belarusian prisons on politically motivated charges. Statkevich took particular issue with the statement that no political goal is worth the health or lives of people.

Statkevich noted that the subject of the appeal was virtually unassailable: who could oppose the release of innocent people? In his view, such calls would be positively received not only by political prisoners and their relatives.

“They will also be welcomed by the regime that keeps political prisoners behind bars and constantly adds to their ranks, making participation in the appeal at least safe. The regime’s attitude is also understandable: the more buyers there are, the greater the seller’s profit. And there is no shortage of replenishments of the ‘goods’,” he wrote.

Statkevich noted that such proposals would be made more than once and said he did not want to discuss them, but wanted to draw attention to the arguments used to justify them, particularly the statement about the value of human life.

“For example: ‘Nothing is more valuable than human life.’ Here, the initiators of the appeal have replaced one word. It would have been more honest to write ‘my’ instead of ‘human’. Such a substitution may not be obvious in free, developed countries, where people can live their entire lives without ever facing a situation in which they have to choose between their own lives and the lives of others. Throughout the history of every nation that has survived, such choices have arisen many times, and in many other countries around the world, they may arise even today. What would those who signed the appeal, declaring the indisputable priority of human survival, choose? The answer is obvious to me.

“Although the authors of the appeal ignore the importance of ideologies — that is, ideals, values or beliefs — they are in fact promoting the oldest and most widespread ideology: the ideology of survival and adaptation at any cost. Adherents of this ideology form the backbone of every repressive regime, because they are willing to violate any norms of human morality, or simply turn a submissive blind eye to such violations, for the sake of their own well-being and self-preservation,” he wrote.

He also objected to the statement that no political goal is worth the lives or health of people.

“The authors of the appeal also claim that ‘no political goal is worth the health and lives of people’. They evidently mean political goals such as people’s freedom and the independence of countries. I am convinced that spreading this thesis is one of the main objectives of the appeal’s actual authors. This does not absolve the others who joined it out of ‘humanitarian considerations’ and because of the ‘respected’ group behind it of responsibility. Devaluing the suffering and sacrifices of those who have fought for Belarus’s freedom, for Ukraine’s freedom and independence, and for the freedom of all oppressed countries throughout history; discrediting these values and reducing the number of their supporters — that is the real aim of the appeal’s actual authors. The appeal insults me personally, as well as a large number of very worthy people, both living and dead.

“Those knowingly or unknowingly carrying out this special operation do not even seem concerned that they live at the expense of, and under the protection of, the peoples of free and prosperous countries — countries that became what they are through the struggle for freedom waged by their national heroes. By discrediting all ‘political goals’ indiscriminately, you are also attacking the ideals and values that motivated the countries that gave you refuge to take you in. They considered you followers of their own revered heroes.

“One can perhaps explain why you expect to get away with spitting on the graves of those who fought for their country’s freedom and on the graves of those who died for Ukraine’s independence. But when you do the same to those who fought for the freedom of the countries that gave you shelter, are you not ashamed — or, more precisely, afraid? Or is it precisely your ideology that drives you to do this?” he concluded.