Havana, Cuba ? The ailing Fidel Castro appeared on Cuban state television for the first time in more than a month Saturday, looking thin and tired but walking around and ridiculing recent rumors of his death.

The 80-year-old Cuban leader, who temporarily ceded power to his brother Raul in July following intestinal surgery, had not been seen since mid-September when photographs of him receiving world leaders at a summit in Havana were released. He was shown walking slowly but steadily in an unidentified room and reading in a loud voice from Saturday’s edition of Granma, the Communist Party daily newspaper.

“They’ve declared me moribund prematurely,” he said. “But it pleases me to send my compatriots and friends this small video.”

The Cuban government has treated Castro’s ailment as a state secret, and rumors that he may have died had intensified in recent weeks. He has not made a public appearance since July 26, a few days before he underwent surgery.