Ronald Poffala calls political prisoner Iryna Khalip

The Chief of Staff of the German Chancellery, Ronald Poffala, made a phone call to Iryna Khalip today.

Political prisoner Iryna Khalip, the wife of presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, told charter97.org about the conversation:

“Mr Poffala congratulated me on receiving the Kesten Prize from the German PEN Centre. He asked details about the restrictions I have. The minister didn't imagine that police visit me at night, often several times during the night. I am outside prison de jure, but I am under house arrest de facto. He asked how my son reacted to night visit and wished me strength and courage. Mr Poffala said the further relations between Germany and Belarus would in great degree depend on treatment of us. 'It's outrageous,' his reaction was to my words about our everyday life under constant pressure and interference from the authorities.

The minister does not see any opportunities of 'unfreezing' so far. He stressed his personal position and that of official Berlin in relation to the Lukashenka regime were the same as mine. The minister said he would like to visit Belarus and see me, but unless the last political prisoner is freed and, he put special emphasis,  rehabilitated, no visits and official contacts are possible – only a policy of sanctions.

By the way, I told the minister that yesterday the regime organized provocations in attempt to demonstrate that all my phone conversation were tapped – I received calls from the German embassy to arrange  the time of a call from Berlin. Of course, the regime could not tolerate that Federal Minister Poffala phones me, not Lukashenka or, for example, Makei. I am very touched with the call and minister's tough stance on the Belarusian regime. I hope the situation will change soon and I will be able to thank the minister for his support personally.”

The KGB tried to use its traditional idiotic methods to disrupt the conversation between Ronald Poffala and Iryna Khalip: at 10:30 a.m. – the arranged time for the call from Berlin – a 40-minute attack on her cell phone was launched. She received endless calls from a hidden number. But the minister phoned a minute earlier the attack. The KGB already used similar attack on charter97.org editor Natallia Radzina, Narodnaya Volya journalist Maryna Koktysh, Iryna Khalip and Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov.

Iryna Khalip was arrested on the day of the Belarusian presidential election on December 19, 2010 and given a 2-year suspended sentence for taking part in a protest rally against rigged results of the presidential election.