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Siarhei Skrabets: Either Statkevich or protests

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Siarhei Skrabets: Either Statkevich or protests

Political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich has been nominated as a candidate for the presidency of Belarus.

A decision to register an initiative group was taken. If the authorities refuse to register Mikalai Statkevich, opposition politicians will call to boycott the “elections” and organise civil disobedience actions.

The decision was supported by Pavel Seviarynets, Zmitser Dashkevich, Viachaslau Siuchyk, Uladzimir Navasiad, Belaruskaya Prauda learnt from Siarhei Skrabets, the general secretary of the central committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada).

– Is it a personal initiative of the politicians or is it a decision of their parties?

– These leaders took part in the round table discussion organised by our party. We invited Niakliaeu, but he didn't come. You'd better ask them about the format of their participation. We didn't discuss protests, but our party will take to streets if Statkevich is denied registration.

– Kaliakin said he wouldn’t call on people to take to streets. Yanukevich added that only mad people could call to protest. How does Narodnaya Hramada explain its call to protest in the context of events in Ukraine?

– It is not forbidden to take to streets. Every honest person who cares about the future of the country will go to the square even without a call. Even if 100 people gather, we have a hope that our country has a future. The future without the dictatorship, political prisoners, prisons and tortures at least for our children.

– Either Statkevich or protests?

– Yes.

Mikalai Statkevich is the only candidate in the 2010 presidential elections who is still in prison. He was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment in May 2011 for organising mass disorders on the election day. International human rights organisations recognised Statkevich as a political prisoner.

The politician began to serve his term in correctional facility No.17 in Shklou, but was transferred to stricter prison No.4 in Mahilou for three years in January 2012. Statkevich returned to Shklou on 12 January 2015 and got two warnings for violating prison rules in the first two days. The politician may face a new prison term.

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