Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu: “I’m frightened by repressive machine of destruction”

Poet Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, the leader of “Say the Truth!” civil campaign, answered questions of charter97.org after his release from prison in Akrestsin Street.

“The events of May 18 are outrage. The mass searches in offices and apartments of activists of “Say the Truth!” campaign, arrests, questionings over a ridiculous far-fetched article, seizure of computers and printed materials. They were evidently looking for “enemy’s money”, but unable to find it, they seized everything related to the campaign. The militia and secret services were most interested in who our partners are and who organize the campaign,” Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu said.

The poet notes that the texts he had written over the last years were seized during the search. “They’ve taken everything I wrote. It will take a long time to read this. I appeal to the militia through charter97.org: Read faster, please. I have a lot of unfinished works. It’s really funny. If I had had any serious documents, I wouldn’t have kept them on computers, I am not a fool. The main thing that made the authorities angry is that the campaign was effective. We didn’t relate our activity to any person. There were lots of rumours about us, people said we worked for Lukashenka, or for Milinkevich. The authorities were convinced we were preparing for the presidential elections. But our campaign will continue its activity regardless presidential elections,” Nyaklyaeu said.

The campaign leader notes regarding the computers seized from him and “Say the Truth!” activists: “I don’t know why they need so many computers. Charter97.org has 8 eight computers 8, but we lost 18. Maybe they took them to their summer houses, to saunas. What are they looking for? Perhaps they want to find a text in my computer that may “insult” Lukashenka,” the poet said.

What to initiating a criminal case under article 250 of the Criminal Code, Nyaklyaeu, a suspect in the case, noted: “in spite of explanations of an investigator, I haven’t understood yet what this article means. How could I violate it if I don’t produce any goods? Well, it would be OK if I had produced jeans and sew famous labels to them. I don’t understand.”

“Psychology of the authorities is based on a “take away” principle. If they see something that doesn’t belong to them, they take it. I saw about thirty young people during three days in prison. Young people are drug addicts, those who are older are alcoholics. What the young had to go through! They had bruises, they couldn’t move normally. They were beaten and tortured, they admitted both what they had and hadn’t committed. I was frightened not by actions of certain sergeants, but by how the machine works. This is a machine of destruction. This is repressive machine!” Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu said.

Photo svaboda.org