A surgical master-slave robot for use in minimally invasive surgery on a subject , the surgical master-slave robot comprising: - an instrument manipulator for mounting of a surgical instrument; and - a linkage system for moveably suspending the instrument manipulator, the linkage system comprising: - a first linkage component coupled to the instrument manipulator at a first suspension point of the instrument manipulator; - a second linkage component coupled to the instrument manipulator at a second suspension point of the instrument manipulator; wherein: - the first linkage component is configured for guiding the first suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a first movement trajectory ; - the second linkage component is configured for guiding the second suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a second movement trajectory ; and wherein the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory differ and are selected to provide a combined translational and rotational movement of the instrument manipulator which moves the instrument manipulator along a predefined trajectory from a surgical position proximate to the subject to a standby position distal to the subject; characterised in that - the surgical master-slave robot comprises a release mechanism for holding and releasing the instrument manipulator at the surgical position; and - the movement of the instrument manipulator from the surgical position to the standby position is obtained as a result of a force acting upon the instrument manipulator when the release mechanism releases the instrument manipulator, wherein the force is generated passively by conversion of stored potential energy. - an instrument manipulator for mounting of a surgical instrument; and - a linkage system for moveably suspending the instrument manipulator, the linkage system comprising: - a first linkage component coupled to the instrument manipulator at a first suspension point of the instrument manipulator; - a second linkage component coupled to the instrument manipulator at a second suspension point of the instrument manipulator; - a first linkage component coupled to the instrument manipulator at a first suspension point of the instrument manipulator; - a second linkage component coupled to the instrument manipulator at a second suspension point of the instrument manipulator; - the first linkage component is configured for guiding the first suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a first movement trajectory ; - the second linkage component is configured for guiding the second suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a second movement trajectory ; and wherein the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory differ and are selected to provide a combined translational and rotational movement of the instrument manipulator which moves the instrument manipulator along a predefined trajectory from a surgical position proximate to the subject to a standby position distal to the subject; characterised in that - the surgical master-slave robot comprises a release mechanism for holding and releasing the instrument manipulator at the surgical position; and - the movement of the instrument manipulator from the surgical position to the standby position is obtained as a result of a force acting upon the instrument manipulator when the release mechanism releases the instrument manipulator, wherein the force is generated passively by conversion of stored potential energy. <EOS>