Letters of political prisoner: “The main thing is to believe and not to give up”

A political prisoner Alyaksandr Barazenka has sent his comrades a letter from Minsk remand prison where he is kept for two weeks already.

An activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Alyaksandr Barazenka was arrested on October 27 right in the building of the Investigative Committee for preliminary investigation of Chief Directorate of Internal Affairs by Minsk city executive committee. He went there for interrogation. The oppositionist is one of the accused in the “Process of Fourteen”, a criminal case initiated on charges relating Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus against participants of the peaceful protest of market vendors held in Minsk on January 10, 2008. It is notable that the arrest took place right after the European Union lifted sanctions against high-ranking Belarusian officials.

We offer you the full text of the political prisoner:

“I was trying so long to understand why it has happened like this. And what for?

It is possible that it has happened in order not to fear anything, to be ready for anything. Such trials are given for a reason. A person who has passed through the furnace of hardships has nothing to fear any more. If he survived, he will become unstoppable and will achieve one’s goal. A person is like a bow in a forest: ones which are easily broken are rotten and cannot burn well, and the ones which are not easily cut even by an axe can make you warm even in the coldest night.

Maybe it was to give us a piece of hope, maybe to become an example for someone. It is important for us not to lose heart. We should show that we are not exhausted, that we cannot be intimidated! And it should be done by each of us. Everyone should make a little heroic deed, to overcome one’s fear, one’s apathy. The time has come to fill the word “freedom” by power… power of our spirit. Every letter of this word is lifeless if it doesn’t live in our heats.

Possibly it was for us to finish the things we’ve started.

Possibly it has happened because I was taught to act according to my conscience since childhood.

Possibly because I love my county and my people greatly…

And possibly in order to reevaluate many things and understand much. I was to understand that I am not alone, and how my loved ones are dear to me. To understand that everything will be fine! We shall overcome everything together and we’ll achievbe our goal. The main thing is to believe and not to give up! No matter what will happen…

We should understand that pain is an invocation for blissfulness, fear is an invocation for courage, powerlessness is an invocation for power, and weakness is an invocation for will.

“Have no fear!” Jan Paul II

Never give up and do not lose Heart! I am always yours! Long live Belarus!!!