Alyaksandr Kazulin: “Instead of unconditional release, I was offered secret escape from the country”

A political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin answered questions of Austrian newspaper “Der Standard” during a meeting with his family on May 3-5 in Vitsebsk colony. However the interview was shortened for publication in the newspaper. A daughter of the political prisoner Volha Kazulina gave the Charter’97 press-center the full answers of Alyaksandr Kazulin to Austrian journalists.

- To start with, dear Mr. Kazulin, let us express our condolences to you for the loss of your wife. So we have the first question for you: how do you get through this terrible loss, especially considering the fact that you are imprisoned? What gives you power?

- Faith, moral courage, knowing of the future. The two months after my wife’s death was very hard time of my life.

- How do you feel in prison? What are conditions in the colony? What do you miss most?

- Whenever I go, I feel myself a free persons. Many people who are imprisoned are far from being free, even if they do not realize it. They are in a spiritual confinement. The conditions are usual for a Belarusian prison. Citizens of Western countries can hardly understand that. If they appeared here, they would be petrified with horror. I miss active work most.

- Why haven’t you accepted the offer of Lukashenka to go to Germany and treat your wife there? In fact, that offer was permission for you to leave the country with the aim of receiving a political asylum in the West…

- One shouldn’t judge superficially, but the real meaning of that offer should be considered and its prehistory. In a few months before this proposal German Ambassador to Belarus Mr. Weiss insistently recommended my family to persuade me to write a petition for pardon. I do not exclude his intention was noble, and he believed my release at any cost was the most important thing. But he was mistaken in that. It would be an insult of me and my family, my nation and my struggle. I stated that before, and I state that openly now. It would have meant kneeling to a tyrant; it would have been open treading on morals and ethics, which are the basic things a person and a society have, and which are feared most by Lukashenka, as he doesn’t have such things at all.

Later I was offered to go to Germany. Instead of an unconditional release I was in fact offered a secret escape from the country or a deportation in a beautiful disguise. Playing upon heartstrings and the most sacred feelings, using the health of my dearly loved wife as a smokescreen, the regime tried to trample the most valuable and sacred things a person has, and to show once again that everything could be sold and bought in this world.

But neither I nor my family could fall as low as that. I am saying that aloud, as enough time has passed, but Germany does not reveal its position as before, thought it is one of the pillars of the EU. It is very interesting to me what would prevail, morals, fundamental human values, or hard pragmatism.

The future of Europe depends on that to a large extent, as in such critical moments a true identity is unveiled. German government should be asked about the motivation of such a proposal, and about whom they wanted to help, me or somebody else? By the way, Mr. Weiss came up to me during my wife’s funeral and told that things will come right. I wonder, what he meant by saying “right”, and for whom things will come right?

I hope that as me, he meant unconditional release of all political prisoners (there are three of us again), and democratization of Belarus.

So it has happened that I have been deprived of freedom, and of the dearest people, my wife and mother. As you understand, firstly my wife didn’t need treatment in Germany at that period, and her quick death confirmed that. Secondly, all worldly goods and the moon were promised to me in Germany, in exchange for not returning back to the country.

But when I chose the path of struggle, I didn’t excluded imprisonment. If my desire would be to go somewhere and not get into trouble, I would have done that beforehand (as I had been warned about the arrest). I am a son of my Belarusian nation, and I will go the way with my people, no matter how difficult it may be. I will do that for the sake of my country and people’s future. I do not need anything personally myself.

- Why after the events of 2006 in Belarus Lukashenka got enraged with you in particular?

- Lukashenka can be mad only with those who pose a real threat to him. He knows well what I am capable of. He realizes perfectly well that he won’t beat me in any open confrontation.

- What gives Lukashenka’s regime a possibility to survive after that events and after the direct assistance of Moscow to Minsk finished?

- But isn’t it obvious that the direct assistance continues? 1.5 billion of non-repayable credit, a gas price which is 2.5 times lower than in Europe, interests of Russian business in Belarus are the things that are on the surface. Besides, Europeans with their pragmatism are helping Lukashenka.

- Is it true that life of people in Belarus ruled by Lukashenka is so bad? In some countries of the former USSR, in Russia and Ukraine for instance, there is an opinion that after the collapse of the Soviet Union Belarus is the only oasis of well-being and prosperity. Who lives really well in today’s Belarus?

- Life in Belarus is not so bad, but it is much worse than it could be (we are not comparing our life with Lithuania and Poland, as we have a gap between us in terms of standards of living). Life in Belarus is already worse than in Ukraine and Russia. And from the point of view of freedoms, rule of law and human rights, it is really as awful as you can imagine. The current regime in fact is practically implementing genocide against its own nation. That’s why there is a proverb: “If you want to end up in prison, go to Belarus; and if you want to get in prison quick, go to Minsk”. If you watch Belarusian TV, read state-un newspapers, Belarus is a haven of prosperity in the CIS than for you. But in reality Belarus is a sanctuary of worm-eaten past in a bright propaganda’s wrapping.

Whose life is good here? For some period it is good for some high-ranking officials, especially those who are close to Lukashenka; to high-ranking law-enforcers. Permissiveness and impunity are corrupting; they create an illusion of prosperity and well-being. But none of these people has future, and they understand that perfectly. So they are trying to live like there is no future, and enjoy life to the full, grabbing everything they get their hands on. So much the more so as none of them could be sure for a moment he won’t be imprisoned tomorrow.

- Is there an active and efficient and opposition in Belarus now? What does the opposition offer as an alternative to Lukashenka?

- Self-consciousness of the nation is developing in Belarus. Lukashenka is given to us exactly for breakthrough in conscience. Opposition is to transfigure very soon. There are all the preconditions for that. Unlike the today’s regime we offer the society not conservation of the past, but a mighty spurt and ascension to the future.

- Do you and your associates feel support of the West? Does the world community remember you? What could be done to support democracy in Belarus?

- I feel support. I receive letters from almost all countries of the world. And there are even more such letters than from Belarusians. As for the support from the West, they should find their position and understand that Lukashenka is a challenge to the European civilization, that Lukashenka is a modernized fascist ideology, Hitler’s order, which had been mentioned by him as an ideal of a presidential republic for Belarus in one of his first interviews to a German newspaper. In fact he is realized that in practice.

An ideology of “Lukashism” is very dangerous. Europe cannot understand that still and cannot stop flirting with Lukashenka, as it was in the 1930ies with the ominous person we all know. As soon as Lukashenka is viewed as a challenge to the entire civilization and to all fundamental principles of human society, only then Europeans would be able to find a solution. Americans understood that much earlier, and now they are following an absolutely right policy towards Lukashenka. It is possible to talk to Lukashenka only from a position of strength. The most important thing is that the Europeans should be consolidated, be united and not to flirt with Lukashenka. Otherwise he will fool them finally.

Besides, my criminal case has been submitted to the Council of Europe. Mr. Van der Linden promised to carry out an independent experts’ examination. My case was submitted in November 2007, and there is no result still.

In his address to the “parliament” of Belarus Lukashenka defined what America and Europe should do. He is panicked that the EU and the US would consolidate. That is why imposing of economic sanctions would disarm Lukashenka completely. He has stated directly that Europe won’t impose sanctions at the expense of their own interests (that Europeans’ pragmatism would prevail). Europe should show the BelareusianS and the world that there are more important things than economy. The humankind is rested on them. These are fundamental values which cannot be trampled by anybody; morality, spirituality, humanity, compassion, mercy.