Mikalai Statkevich tells about his cellmate

Mikalai Statkevich, a presidential candidate, in his letter to his father confirmed the reports previously appeared in the media.

As Narodnaya Volya reminds, a few days ago a human rights initiative Platforma informed on its website that a former deputy commander of the military unit Nr 3214 on physical training Andrei Vasilyeu was transferred from Navapolatsk penal colony into Mikalai Statkevich’s cell. Back in 2002 Vasilyeu was sentenced to 21 year’s imprisonment. In a high-profile series “Godfather” on NTV channel it was Alyaksandr Vasilyeu who was called a fighter of the so-called “death squad”, involved in abductions of oppositional politicians and a journalist Zavadski. A former soldier of the military unit Nr 3214 Dzmitry Novichak told about Vasilyeu in detail.

There have been reports that Vasilyeu had links to the “death squad” earlier as well.

All indications are that the information received by Platforma from its sources in Mahilyou prison was true. In his last letter to his father Mikalai Statkevich writes: “I have a new neighbour, a former special task force officer. Despite his long prison term, he is a calm and sane person.”

The Corrections Department denies comment on the reports that Alyaksandr Vasilyeu had been placed into the cell of Mikalai Statkevich.