A selective decision-feedback detector for the space-time block code which provides both diversity and spatial multiplexing. To detect a received code block of transmitted symbols, the channel matrix is properly preprocessed with the real and imaginary parts decoupled, and the selective decision-feedback detector makes multiple decisions on the same block upon differently permuted channel matrix and generates multiple candidates for the results. The indicators of the decision errors associated with the candidates are compared, and one of the candidates with the minimum error is selected by a selector as the decided symbols to be used for further processing at a receiving station.