Volha Bandarenka: It’s possible Sannikov won’t be released to prevent him from telling what they did to him

Former political prisoners and relatives of the prisoners of the regime comment on information about Sannikov.

“This is terrible. I know Andrei. I cannot imagine what they did to him to force him to apply for a pardon. It’s possible that he won’t be released to prevent him from telling what they did with him, and that’s the most awful. It’s terrible. You begin to think what is happening to other political prisoners,” Volha Bandarenka, the wife of political prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka, told Radio Svaboda.

Former political prisoner Alyaksandr Atroshchankau knows what means inhuman pressure in prisons.

“I was in the KGB jail. I went through inhuman pressure there. I saw the reaction of Iryna Khalip today. What is happening today is worse that torturing in the KGB jail. This is a slow silent murder. The authorities do not hesitate in using all means,” Alyaksandr says.

Former political prisoner Syarhei Kazakou reminds how he was made to apply for a pardon.

“Sannikov remains a politician for me. I was in the same situation. I was forced to sign a pardon petition. It’s just a paper. I think he will remain the same. We must struggle for his release,” Syarhei Kazakou noted.

Anastasia Palazhanka, the Young Front deputy head and fiancée of political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich, supports Andrei Sannikov.

“Sannikov remains a brave and dignified man for me. I hope he will be home with his family soon. It’s important for him to know we continue to support him,” Anastasia Palazhanka says.

Former political prisoner Pavel Vinahradau thinks people will learn the truth only after the release of Sannikov.

“After this news, it’s difficult to imagine was happened to Sannikov in prison. We will learn it only when Sannikov will meet with a lawyer without witnesses.

It’s good that he was permitted to see his family. I hope he will be freed soon if he was allowed this meeting. We will be able to know the truth only after his release,” the former political prisoner said.

Alena Likhavid, the mother of political prisoner Mikita Likhavid, says the international community should react to the information about torture of Sannikov.

“I can imagine what he had to go through to be forced to apply for a pardon. I have respected Sannikov before and my respect for has only increased. I can imagine what his family, his mother and Iryna Khalip feel. This is terrible.

The regime continues to mock Sannikov’s family. It’s difficult to imagine what he had to go through. It was a real danger to his life, he worried about his family.

It’s frightful, because the regime will never stop here. We need to act and encourage the international community to show the reaction immediately,” Alena Likhavid says.

Zmitser Drozd, a former political prisoner, thinks the authorities want to eliminate Sannikov.

“Lukashenka said they should apply for a pardon and he would think about it. It turns out Sannikov did so. It turns out, Lukashenka lies. They want to destroy Sannikov morally and physically, because he is a potential competitor to Lukashenka,” Zmitser says.

We remind that Iryna Khalip, the wife of the presidential candidate, said at a press conference today Andrei Sannikov’s imprisonment was a process of killing and Sannikov had been made to apply for a pardon under threats to his family.