In the Czech Republic, 23-year-old Belarusian Yakov Kudzyalevich emerged from a 73-day coma
23-year-old Belarusian Yakov Kudzyalevich had been in a coma in a Czech hospital since mid-April. Now he has emerged from it. And it was unexpected, says Yakov's father Dzmitry Kudzyalevich.
Yakov's father Dzmitry Kudzyalevich told Svaboda about the circumstances of his son's treatment and his legal status.
Dzmitry Kudzyalevich says that his mother is currently in the hospital where Yakov is being treated, and on June 24, she unexpectedly called him and said:
"Dzmitry, 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 powerful and profound that was."
After that, the father regularly talks to his son on the phone and visits him on weekends.
"We will go with our daughter to visit our son and help him get up, because he is now conscious, communicates, remembers everything well, and has no speech impairment. But he cannot control his limbs, hands, or legs; he is immobilized, unfortunately. Intensive therapy continues."
The father says that meanwhile, the family is awaiting the court hearing on Yakov's international protection and is very worried about the outcome.
"I'm referring to the decision of the Czech court regarding the appeal against 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 the office of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and separately from the office of democratic forces in the Czech Republic led by Kristina Shiyanok, who is constantly in contact with us, provides excellent support, and gives us various channels for legal and financial assistance. I would especially like to thank the office of democratic forces in Ukraine, Sviatlana Shatsilina. She is also regularly in contact with us. The Ukrainian fund "Samostiina 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 Viasna Human Rights Center."
Dzmitry Kudzyalevich separately mentioned doctor Siarhei Yurchenka, a Belarusian who heads the intensive care unit in the hospital where Yakov is located, the Center for Belarusian Solidarity, and Belarusian students in the Czech Republic.
Neither the doctors nor the father venture to give predictions for further treatment:
"This is, of course, a miracle not only for us, relatives and loved ones, but also for the doctors, I understand, because no one expected it to turn out exactly like this. Therefore, there are no predictions, as this is such an extraordinary situation. Well, the doctors are very cautious, they smile. I'll tell you, yes, the general atmosphere in the hospital ward has even changed," says Dzmitry Kudzyalevich.
Problems in the Emigration of the Kudzyalevich Family
Yakov's father Dzmitry Kudzyalevich, one of the former leaders of the Belaruskali strike committee, was forced to flee Belarus in 2020. Now Dzmitry Kudzyalevich, together with a lawyer, is trying to appeal the Czech Ministry of Interior's refusal to grant international protection to Yakov.
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, Czech Republic. The young man realized that this specialty was not for him, and he had to leave the university.
After that, there were various jobs and attempts to start studying at a university in Prague. Yakov faced a legalization problem. He applied for international protection because both he and his father participated in protests in Belarus and were forced to leave the country. The Czech Ministry of Interior denied him international protection.
Dzmitry Kudzyalevich, 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.
Kudzyalevich recalls how in early April, his son stopped contacting him. He began searching for Yakov through his acquaintances in the Czech Republic. His son was found unconscious on the floor in his room at 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.