Statkevich recounted how he survived in captivity. And what he is doing now
Mikalai Statkevich published a post in which he described conditions that could be called an attempt to cause his death in a way that would appear to be a natural process. The politician emphasizes that his main task was to preserve himself, so as not to break down mentally and physically.
"I was punished 6 times in a row with 6 months in a solitary cell — there is such a type of punishment under special regime with a maximum term of 6 months — a cell measuring 1x3 meters, with half-hour 'walks' a day in a not much larger, almost blind metal box under a metal roof with artificial lighting even during the day.
It's hard for years not to see the sky above you, even through a net.
And also to end up in SHIZA (punishment cell) 1-2 times a month, where I spent a total of about a year. Such a thing had not been done to anyone else there. Experienced prisoners said that they were 'killing me off, like, for natural reasons'.
In addition, the complete lack of news from outside about my loved ones, and Maryna was seriously and dangerously ill at the time, also put a lot of pressure on me.
It got to the point where one of the institution's managers, through another prisoner, relayed a "humane" offer to me: to ask to be transferred to a "closed" prison myself, where the conditions are incomparably milder. I sharply refused, because in these places, any sign of weakness would only provoke increased pressure.
I resisted their plans, striving to preserve myself — I walked a lot even in that cell, did at least some physical exercises, read a lot of literature on philosophy and social psychology when books were still issued from the library, tried to learn English until they started taking away textbooks, and in the SHIZA (punishment cell), I conceived a rather large text dedicated to the genesis of human morality, a person's choice of their behavior model, and the moral choice of an individual in a critical situation.
Later, I even made drafts of it on paper, but they disappeared into the depths of the KGB during an attempt at my illegal deportation. Now I will have to find time to restore this text, as I do not like unfinished business.
So, I maintained a decent form for such conditions and three bouts of COVID.
At least, I had enough strength for a "push" at the limit of my abilities. But during my refusal of deportation, I perfectly understood that they wouldn't just release me, and I prepared for the worst.
But everything turned out to be very simple — after the second COVID in the Homiel (Gomel) pre-trial detention center, doctors prescribed certain medications for me.
Maryna sent them to me in the colony, with frequent interruptions, but they reached me and were given to me. For 3 years, this was the only means of communication between us. Because, upon receiving a medical parcel, I knew that Maryna was alive. And she tracked those parcels by code and, when they were picked up from the post office, she knew the same.
But since last September, my whereabouts were simply concealed, so, consequently, Maryna didn't know where I was; in the colony, she was told I wasn't there, and her medical parcels didn't arrive.
I was told they would issue their "analogues". For example, the preventative blood clot medication "Xarelto" was replaced with aspirin.
Later, in prison hospitals, doctors collectively mocked me, for some reason, because of this replacement and said that such a replacement for post-COVID problems was unacceptable, and that it was what caused my stroke.
Thus, I have every reason to believe that this stroke was artificially and deliberately provoked.
But the doctors in the prison hospitals, thanks to them, did everything to minimize its consequences. It did not affect any of my body's physical functions, except for speech.
Now I feel good, my blood pressure is a constant 120/80 for me. I have started exercising again. I regularly work online with speech therapist Pani Yulia — a Belarusian living in the USA, to whom I am very grateful that after a hard day's work she finds the time and strength to help me. Speech is slowly recovering, but more time is needed.
However, the authorities periodically heighten my emotional tone. Perhaps to speed up my recovery after the stroke".