Zmitser Bandarenka: “Regime must release political prisoners and agree for dialogue”

They have no other way, the political prisoner is convinced. The crisis in the country is too severe.

On April 28 the coordinator of “Eruopean Belarus” civil campaign Zmitser Bandarenka met with his wife Volha in the KGB remand prison. The day before, ob April 27, Bandarenka, a campaign chief of the presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, was sentenced to 2 years of general regime colony for participation in the protest rally against rigged election results.

“We had about three hours to communicate,” Volha Bandarenka told. “We certainly discussed the court trial and the verdict. Generally speaking, both of us had been preparing ourselves for the worst, but we kept hoping for the best as well, considering that there was no evidentiary material at all.

Zmitser asks to express his great gratitude to everyone who supports him, who is concerned about him and certainly all those who are continuing struggle, who were by his side during the trial. He wanted to bow his thank to all his friends in the court room, but he forgot, so he wants to say that now. He is distressed for the young people who are undergoing trial, and especially for those who have been involved by a pure chance. He asked to help them.”

During the meeting with his wife, Zmitser Bandarenka said that today Belarus is in an economic and political crisis.

“He sees only one way out of that: real negotiations of the authorities and opposition after release of ALL political prisoners. Not an imitation of these talks, not a “dialogue” with a pocket opposition, but real negotiations. It seems to him that the authorities are not ready for that yet, but it is inevitable, as the crisis is too severe,” Volha reports Zmitser Bandarenka’s words.

As for the incarceration conditions in the KGB remand prison, as said by Zmitser Bandarebka, they have changed for the better, the attitude of the personnel has become less harsh and more polite than before. However, Bandarenka does not receive medical treatment in full measure.

“Medical aid is administered to him. But Zmitser certainly needs an in-patient hospital. His gout has aggravated again, in spite of the diet,” Volha Bandarenka said.