Vladimir Labkovich At Large: There Is Certainly A Feeling Of Happiness Right Now

The human rights activist spoke about his "tour".

On December 13, 2025, human rights defender "Viasna" Vladimir Labkovich was released. The lawyer and coordinator of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" was detained in July 2021 and sentenced to seven years in prison for his human rights activities. On December 14, he spoke at a press conference with the participation of released political prisoners. "Viasna" quotes his first words at liberty.

On release and further plans

"I did not know at all that I would be released. In almost five years of incarceration, I've changed a lot of places. I had probably one of the biggest 'tours.' As they said: "You're a human rights activist, you have to see everything". So they took me around to different prisons, I really looked at everything. So I thought, this is another trip of this "tour", I was already taken like this in a car when I couldn't see anything. In September 2025, I was transported like this from the Mogilev prison to the KGB pre-trial detention center. I thought it was just another trip. But when I saw that we were taking a long ride - then I maybe had hope for the first time. Then, on the bus, when our movements were made easier, I saw a man in civilian clothes who was filming us on his phone. And he kept saying to me, "Why aren't you smiling?" and I thought that they had gotten quite naked - why take pictures and make this clowning. And I could see that the person was also confused: he wanted some positive emotions from us, and everyone was so angry. And it turned out that it was an employee of the Ukrainian side, who provided us with all the help. Somehow I even felt ashamed in front of him that we did not greet him. And only when the Ukrainian coat of arms was seen on the building, I realized where we were. And indeed, thank you very much, I am glad that we are in Ukraine.

There is certainly a feeling of happiness now. Probably my wife will scold: I was not the first to call her. The first one I called was Belyatsky, who said that here we are, five years off - now we have to work. The second I called my wife, talked to the children - this is a very exciting moment. I saw my daughter when she was only 13 years old, I have not seen my daughter once during this time - only in a few photos that came to me. A week later she is 18. This is a difficult and very exciting moment. I got an email from my wife that it turns out our boys still believe in Santa Claus, so we need to not fail.

In the morning I felt ashamed because I woke up, it was warm on a mattress I hadn't seen in a while, such care all around me. And I caught myself thinking about what was happening to all those people with whom I had been through a lot and who were now left there.... Really, the most important thing for all of us is for them to be able to have this press conference as soon as possible. And a very important point, which we should not forget: in order to stop this process of repression in principle, we need to bring the situation to the point where there is no threat of new political prisoners in Belarus. After all, this process can be endless: we release a thousand, two - and it seems that on the site of "Viasna" we can close the "rubric" of political prisoners of Belarus and reopen it in half an hour, because new ones have appeared.

We don't know what will happen to us next. Today is a day off. We really hope that they will not give us back, so now - only forward! I think we'll be able to somehow naturalize, have documents and legal status and continue our activities."

Nikalai Statkevich

"We don't know much, we know one thing: he was in the group of those released in September 2025 and refused to leave Belarus. As we know, he is in detention, he is not free, he is not allowed to live in Belarus. Unfortunately, he continues, of course, to be a political prisoner."

Andrei Pochobut

"Indeed, Andrei deserves this prize - the Sakharov Prize. He is in Novopolotsk in colony No. 1. All the time he is in PKT - it is such a prison regime inside the colony, more difficult than the prison regime. At least as of September he was in good health. He is fine and very positive. Many thanks to the Polish side, which is making every effort to ensure that he, like the others, is released as soon as possible."

About documents

"Everyone here does not have passports. Not everyone from our liberated group ... A certain selection has taken place. I don't know what the employees of the Belarusian special services, who organized this special operation, were thinking. At least I and my colleagues at the press conference have no passports. We were given such a certificate of release: a piece of A4 paper with our photo, a certificate that we were released, and our passport data."

About Ukraine

"We are very grateful to the Ukrainian side for accepting us without documents. We are very grateful for the organization of our delivery, at least from the Ukrainian side: it was as heartfelt, comfortable and very hospitable as possible. We realize that this is really important and difficult in the conditions that Ukraine is in now, with which I, of course, express full solidarity. I have been in many places of detention, and there, 80 percent - if not 90 percent - unanimously share the pain of Ukraine and express a unanimous position on this war.

Of course, the humanitarian role of the leadership of Ukraine, Zelensky, is absolutely obvious. And for that we thank you very much. We very much hope that this track will continue. This is the most important thing right now. And any positive role of the Ukrainian side is extremely important, and we take the opportunity and ask that this process continues. We all need to work for this process now, and our conversation today is certainly working for this process.

I would very much like the war to end yesterday or the day before yesterday. It should end as soon as possible. This is something that people should not be doing, it is an unacceptable thing. I won't rate the Belarusian volunteers - it's really a moral choice, as has been very rightly said already. I wish only to stay alive.

I want to emphasize that all war crimes must be investigated, and the guilty must be punished."

On political prisoners

"Apart from the Ukrainian people, who are undoubtedly heroes, the heroes are those who remained. Not us, but those who remained: those who today went to the promki, to the SHIZO.

Yesterday Ales Bialiatski was released, he was taken to Vilnius, he is fine - I had the opportunity to talk to him. So people were traveling in different ways, there was a certain selection. But what was the cunning idea of the Belarusian government - I don't know.

I knew that if I was ever released, all my records - first of all, phone contacts - would disappear. So I have a dozen phone numbers in my head, the first thing I'm going to do is I need to urgently call the family and relatives of those who are still there, talk to them. This is something that needs to be done immediately."

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com