Zmiter Barodka: «Lukashists don’t trust in God»

Recently Zmiter Barodka, member of the European March organizing committee , democratic activist, was released from the special prison facility in Akrestin Street. On the day Barodka received an unjust sentence of 15 days of arrest, his wife Valiantina bore twins. The sudden arrest of her husband caused advanced labor.

“Last time I served the term in Akrestin prison some years ago. I must say that the conditions there have become tougher. Such innovation as personal search, or speak plainly, “shakedown” has appeared. Twice a week the guards came and searched us. They were checking every pocket, every seam…Like in real colony…”, - Zmiter Barodka told to Charter’97 press center.

It was very hard without food parcels from outside. “Though, there are three meals daily, it is practically impossible to eat that food. I remember, I was on the excursion in Swedish remand jail with human rights activists, and I asked a keeper how much food is allowed to pass to the persons on remand. The jail keeper didn’t understand my question. Why pass food, if there is enough? The keeping of prisons is so good, that nobody even think of parcels. There are all the necessary products in the ration: good meat, vegetables, fruit. At ours the people under arrest are hungry. The basic ration is porridge and bread. A practically uneatable cutlet for dinner. The people are suffering from gastroenteric upsets. The detention in Belarusian prisons is comparable with the Middle Ages, when one is sitting in a “stone bag”, doesn’t see light, food is delivered through a small opening in the door. Many human rights activists are speaking about the horrors of the detention in Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo prisons, but I’d better they don't pay attention to the detainment conditions of the political prisoners in Belarus”, - opposition activist tells.

“It was a real cold torture. it was impossible to sleep because of cold. Every 15 minutes we stood up and did exercises, otherwise we could freeze. All the people from our cell got cold”, - Zmiter Barodka notes.

“When I was released, everyone asked me what I was feeling, - goes on the oppositionist. – From one hand I was upset that I hadn’t participated in the European March. The authorities apparently are unable to conduct a civilized dialog. There was a hope that they would try to think After all, I am a member of the European March organizing committee. Even the official applicant for the action Yauhen Afnahel was arrested. I have such an impression, that we are dealing with psychopaths…”.

“From the other hand, I was feeling joy leaving the prison a father of three children. But I hoped after the release I would meet my wife at home and take her to the maternity hospital myself. But on the day I was caught, my wife had a nervous break-down, she had premature labor… Now my wife and I are worrying about the health of our babies, we pray to God the things would come right”, - Barodka says.

“It is difficult to speak about it. But the case with me and my wife has shown the authorities are absolutely amoral. The people who gave orders to catch me, they didn’t care we were expecting babies. Nobody thought how it would influence the health of mother and babies. I asked the militiaman who perjured against me in court, if he was afraid of the Last Judgement. He answered: “I don’t trust in God”. But it is imortant to remain a human being in every situation!.. It hurts me, that if I would have committed an offence, the blame had been entirely on me. But I was detained on false accusation, I was deprived of possibility to be with my family, take care of it…”, - the politician remarks.