Alyaksandr Kamarouski: “Autukhovich’s case reeks of year 1937”

The movement of Afghan war veterans demands to stop persecution of businessmen from Vaukavysk.

On November 8 another term of extension in the case of Vaukavysk businessmen expires. A little bit earlier in Zhodzina a meeting of the Regional Centre of disabled persons of Minsk region of the Republican Association of Afghan war veterans was held to hear reports and elect new officials. War veterans solidly voted in favour of election of Alyaksandr Kamarouski as the chairman of the organisation for a new term, and supported their imprisoned fellow member from Vaukavysk, political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich. Alyaksandr Kamarouski told to Euramost.org why they have sent a collective address to Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and about the attitude to “Vaukavysk case” among Afghan war veterans.

- It’s true, I have been re-elected as the head of the regional organisation, -- Alyaksandr Kamarouski said. – Frankly speaking, I didn’t want to be re-elected myself, but as they say, it was a will of the people. By the way, since 1997 this regional organisation was a mainstay of the entire republican structure. And it is a mainstay now.

- And what about the republican organisation you once left in order not to damage the common cause?

- We will keep is afloat, though its working efficiency is not as high as before.

- Has the attitude of the authorities to your independent organisation of Afghan war veterans changed now?

- It hasn’t changed. In Zhodzina we haven’t been even given premises for holding the abovementioned event. I wanted to gather as many people as possible, but local authorities answered that all the premises were occupied there, they have other meetings. I checked later, there were no events there. And we had to gather in a restaurant.

- As far as we know, an address to Alyaksandr Lukashenka concerning the case of Vaukavysk entrepreneurs, including former Afghan war participant Mikalai Autukhovich, was adopted.

- Yes, that’s true, people have signed it. We have made an address related to the fact of flagrant lawlessness among officials and law-enforcing agencies demonstrated towards our comrade-in-arms Mikalai Autukhovich, a respected soldier who has 3 battle awards for the war in Afghanistan, an honest and decent person. We understand perfectly well that the trial won’t start soon, as prosecutors and investigators do not have valid proofs. We have written: how could a charge be based just on empty and ungrounded evidence of one false witness? How could criminal proceedings be instituted against people be when other persons had been convicted and are serving sentences for those arsons? Moreover, the affected officials do not have any claims against Autukhovich and Asipenka, as they had received compensation and are satisfied by the verdict of the court completely. Now we ask to release Mikalai Autukhovoch undr a written undertaking not to leave the place, and to hold an open trial. We know that it was a political order. It has an odour of 1937, the only difference is that earlier people were executed without legitimate criminal investigations and court decisions.

- Does it mean that you think that “independent” Afghan war veterans could be presented to the nation as a kind of terrorists?

- It is not excluded. And I am convinced that there wouldn’t be an open court, as all this pro-regime rottenness would show itself.

- Do Afghan war veterans support their comrade-in-arms in this situation?

- Everyone from our organisation supports him. I do not know about the situation in the whole country, as many people haven’t even heard about this case. It is not discussed anywhere in mass media except on the web. And not many people read the Internet. Pro-regime Afghan war veterans close to regime’s sinecures know about the case very well. But we have different approach to life with them. They were the people who were putting grit in the machine of our business using their influence. They have brought to ruin our production; we do not have a single economic structure now. Now in Russia we have opened two enterprises, and they still cannot reach them from here. However earlier we had economy, we earned money and helped our colleagues with working places and finances. But all of that has been buried, just because we are unwelcomed any more. The same situation is with Mikalai Autukhovich, as soon as he became unwanted by the regime, despite of all his merits, the person was simply sent to prison.