Statkevich: businessman Smantser offered me to take Sidorski’s post

Statkekivch and his lawyer filed a motion before court proceedings asking to try all presidential candidates together. The motion was dismissed.

Mikalai Statkevich confirmed that he had had hunger strike in jail. However, he did not focused on details of the confinement conditions preferring to speak about a version of provocations on December 19, “Nasha Niva” writes.

“I refused to give evidence to the institution I do not trust. I did not sign any documents [during the preliminary investigation] in principle.” The candidate said he had seen two records of inspection of Independence Square. The first inspection was carried out by a captain from 00:30 am to 4:00 pm. He found an empty bottle, handkerchiefs, a megaphone. The second inspection was conducted by major, who found a lot of things – ice axes, metal sticks – for 24 minutes.

“I’d like to hear where and with whom I planned mass disorders. This is an allegation. Where are the ‘militants’ whom I led? These young people, who have seen me for the first time? There were no mass disorders. But there was an attempt of the authorities to organize them.”

Mikalai Statkevich explained his presence in the column of Nyklyaeu, while his supporters were gathering near the railway station on December 19. Statkevich came to Nyaklyaeu’s office at about 7:00 pm to see the documents they planned to discuss on the square. Then he realized that he couldn’t arrive at the railways station on time. When the column was attacked and beaten, Statkevich went to October Square alone.

According to Statkevich, he decided to head the rally when people occupied Independence Avenue. “It was near the President’s Administration. The most dangerous was an uncontrolled situation. I feared that the authorities could be aggressive. We needed to take the crowd way from there. When walking along the avenue, I tried to move forward to lead the demonstrators. But a group of traffic policemen formed a human chain to block the way for the candidates. I passed them round and tried to catch up the demonstrators. Movement of people was not controlled. But there were no disorders.” In Statkevich’s view, the candidates were blocked intentionally in hope to cause violence among protesters.

Statkevich said it had been planned deliberately that riot police appeared after the first glass beating and later stepped back.

He said there he had heard a voice saying an officer was standing near the doors to talk to a delegation of candidates. When Statkevich came nearer, he did not saw any officers. He understood it was a provocation. They needed the candidates to come to the broken glass.

“In February, I was taken from a one-man cell to a common one. I met there Dzmitry Novik, who said that when riot policemen had begun to beat people near the doors to House of Government, some people, who previously had beaten glass, shouted: “Friends! Police!”

When Statkevich was on hunger strike, the jail chief came to him with a mobile phone and showed a film “The Square. Iron against Glass”. The movie showed Pinchuk, who said that Statkevich had ordered metal sticks from him. The former presidential candidate has no doubts that the order was made long before December 19. He said the film contained extracts from his conversation with a representative of his initiative group at a meeting with voters put in the context needed.

Statkevich explained the situation with a telephone conversation in the film. A man began to advise him to “take Sidorski’s post and push the buttons”. It was businessman from Ukraine Smantser. Statkevich got acquainted with him in Kyiv in 2008.

“I did hear half of the things Smantser was saying. Let he answer for his words.”

Mikalai Statkevich thins that imprisonment was a way the head of state was settling scores with him.

According to Statkevich, former presidential candidate Kazulin warned him that Lukashenka was revengeful.