Mikalai Statkevich is a veteran opposition politician and former political prisoner. He was arrested on May 31 on his way to an election picket by presidential nominee Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. He was later sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention. On June 15, he stood another trial and received another 15 days.

On June 30, Statkevich was to be released after 30 days in detention, but the night before, Statkevich's wife Maryna Adamovich received a phone call from an investigator saying that the politician was suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code ("Organization or participation in group actions that grossly violate public order"). He was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Minsk.

On December 15, Statkevich faced new charges of “plotting riots” (Art 13, Part 2 of Art. 293 of the Criminal Code).