Mother of political prisoner Artsyom Dubski: The authorities needed to throw my son into prison

Prisoner of conscience Artsyom Dubski is kept in a cell of a detention facility in Babruisk. “Young Front” activists pass clothes and food to him.

Lawyer Tamara Sidarenka is preparing an appeal against the decision of the Asipovichy district court on a year’s imprisonment in minimum security colony of “Young Front” activist Artsyom Dubski, Radio Svaboda reports.

The family is waiting for the soonest release of Dubski. They know he is innocent and don’t hide their indignation.

Alesya, Artsyom Dubski’s sister, has finished her ninth year in school. She says her friends and classmates know about the destiny of her brother and express sympathy to her.

“They understand this situation,” Alesya Dubskaya says. “They express sympathy to me for my brother thrown into prison. They understand he is sentenced not for a murder or a robbery, but for politics. They express sympathy to me and support me.”

Alena Dubskaya, mother of the political prisoner, reminds how the Belarusian television insulted her son after his arrest.

“My friends told me that the Belarusian television spent 10 minutes of air time on Artsyom,” Alena Dubskaya says. “They said he was an alcoholic, they threw mud at him.”

Speaking about the arrest of her son, the woman says: “As I understand, only the authorities needed this.”

Alena Dubskaya is insulted with the fact that her son is accused of the things he didn’t do. Artsyom Dubski doesn’t smoke and drink alcohol. The political prisoner’s mother thinks her son chose his way on his own will, she never tried to hinder him. But she worries when she doesn’t receive letters from him or the Belarusian television shows another film about the danger to the society from girls and boys from “Young Front”.

We remind that “Young Front” activist Artsyom Dubski was sentenced to a year of imprisonment in the case of 14 on July 7. The oppositionist was found guilty of violation of the rules of serving punishment of restricted liberty. In 2008, Dubski had to left for Ukraine as militia officers had given him two far-fetched warnings for violation of the rules of serving. Dubski was detained on February 13, 2009, in Homel.

The Case of 14 is a criminal case under article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, instigated against participants of a peaceful rally of entrepreneurs held in Minsk on January 10, 2008.

14 youth activists were sentenced to different terms of restriction of liberty and imprisonment for participation in this rally. Amnesty International recognized participants of the Process of 14 Prisoners of Conscience in 2009.