In Czechia, 23-year-old Belarusian Yakov Kudzialievich emerged from a 73-day coma

Yakov's father, Dmitry Kudzialievich, told Radio Svaboda about the circumstances of his son's treatment and his legal status.

Dmitry Kudzialievich says that his mother is currently in the hospital where Yakov is being treated, and on June 24, she unexpectedly called him and said:

"Dmitry, your son wants to talk to you."

"For me, it was like a bolt from the blue. For 73 days, my son was in a deep coma. And when I picked up the phone, he said: 'Good day, Dad.' It's hard to convey how profound and moving that was."

After that, the father regularly speaks with his son on the phone and visits him on weekends.

"We will go with my daughter to visit our son and help him recover, because he is now conscious, communicates, remembers everything well, has no speech impairment. But he cannot control his limbs, hands, legs; he is paralyzed, unfortunately. Intensive therapy continues."

The father says that meanwhile, the family is awaiting the court hearing on Yakov's international protection and is deeply worried about the outcome.

"I mean the decision of the Czech court on appealing the refusal of international protection. We have very strong support. Today I just looked at the letters that were sent to us in support, and there are official letters addressed to the Czech court. These are from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's office, and separately from the office of democratic forces in Czechia led by Kristina Shiyanok, who is constantly in contact with us, provides us with excellent support, and offers various channels for help, legal and financial. We would like to separately thank the office of democratic forces in Ukraine, Sviatlana Shatsilina. She is also regularly in contact with us. The Ukrainian fund 'Samostiyna Ukraina,' with which Yakov cooperated, is also in contact with us. The Coordination Council sent us a letter of support and an expert opinion, as did the Human Rights Center 'Viasna'."

Dmitry Kudzialievich separately noted Dr. Siarhei Yurchenka, a Belarusian who heads the intensive care unit in the hospital where Yakov is located, the Belarusian Solidarity Center, and Belarusian students in Czechia.

Neither doctors nor the father are willing to give predictions for further treatment:

"This is, of course, a miracle not only for us, well, relatives and close ones, but also for the doctors, I understand, because no one expected it to turn out this way. Therefore, no predictions, because this is such an extraordinary situation. Well, the doctors are very cautious, they smile. I will tell you, yes, the general atmosphere in the hospital ward has even changed," says Dmitry Kudzialievich.

Problems in the Kudzialievich family's emigration

Yakov's father, Dmitry Kudzialievich, one of the former leaders of the 'Belaruskali' strike committee, was forced to flee Belarus in 2020. Now Dmitry Kudzialievich, together with a lawyer, is trying to appeal the refusal of the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs to grant Yakov international protection.

At the age of 17, Yakov was forced to leave Belarus after 2020 due to the threat of repression. For three years, he studied biotechnology at a university in Ostrava, Czechia. The young man realized that this specialty was not for him and had to leave the university.

After that, there were various jobs, attempts to start studying at a university in Prague. Yakov faced the problem of legalization. The young man applied for international protection, as both he and his father participated in protests in Belarus and were forced to leave the country. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Czechia denied him international protection.

Dmitry Kudzialievich, who was one of the former leaders of the 'Belaruskali' strike committee, managed to flee to Ukraine after being detained by the KGB in August 2020. He now lives in Poland.

Kudzialievich recalls how in early April, his son stopped contacting him. He began searching for Yakov through his acquaintances in Czechia. His son was found unconscious on the floor in his room in a reception center for migrants applying for international protection. According to doctors, Yakov had taken several medical preparations and had been unconscious for about a day alone. The young man was urgently transported to the hospital.

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