Non-Freedom Day

I came across Andrzej Poczobut in Minsk last week.

Do you think were spent a second talking about freedom of the press? Nothing of the kind. This is how a dialogue between two Belarusian journalists looks in the 21st century.

“Andrzej, are you in Minsk? But you have to...”

“Under the sentence, I can travel across Belarus. So, I am allowed to come to Minsk.”

“But the curfew restrictions? You cannot be out after 10 pm!”

“No, that was not in my sentence. You cannot go out in the evening, but I can. I can travel across Belarus from Monday till Monday. I have to be in Hrodna on Monday to appear before police for checks.”

“Do you have checks four time a month?”

“No, the checks are on the first, second and third Monday of a month. To be honest, you can mix up the dates easily. What about you?”

“I have checks every first, second, third and fourth Monday. It is great joy in April – there were five Mondays. How pleasant was to tell the inspector 'You won't see me in a week!'”

We discussed the prospects of our future trials. We will stand trials again after the suspension period ends. The court will definitely take into account if we admitted our guilt even if we have no violations. We have not admitted it. Pavel Sevyarynets was given positive evaluation for the release on parole, but was denied this opportunity due to his refusal to admit his guilt. Nobody knows what will happen to Poczobut and me in 18 months. But we do not expect anything good. A suspended prison term is a prison term, though we are considered formally to be free people and not less free journalists. We are not going to mark the World Press Freedom Day today – what's the damn press freedom? Who has ever seen it in this country?!

Natallia Radzina marks her birthday on this day. We used to celebrate her birthday and raise our glasses to freedom of the press. But we cannot to meet for the second year. Last year, I was under house arrest on that day, while Natasha, who fled from the country, was hiding in Moscow. This year, we are considered to be free, but I cannot leave Minsk, let alone Belarus, and Natasha cannot return to the country. We talk only via Skype. We'll  clink our glasses as though we were together, but in reality we'll do it in front of our monitors. It's not the best substitute to normal communication, friendship and work. Formally, Natasha is free, but this freedom costs her the former way of life, parents in Kobryn, friends in Minsk, favourite job in her favourite country. Is a journalist free if he does not have the right to return home?

Is Henadz Barbarych from Radio Racja free? He is an accredited journalist working legally, but he faced a raid and a search some hours before the press freedom day. Were Zmitser Zavadski and Veranika Cherkasava free?

We can talk a lot and recall many people – killed, beaten, arrested, subject to searches and threats journalists. Freedom cannot be separate, restricted, for a small group of people. Freedom of enterprise cannot exist without freedom of press. Freedom of press  cannot exist without freedom of assembly. Freedom of assembly cannot exist without freedom of  choice. Freedom of choice cannot exist without freedom of conscience. Freedom of conscience cannot exist without freedom of thought. There cannot be freedom of something, of a particular thing, without the global freedom. If you have your right hand handcuffed to a battery, you left hand is not free. Of course, if you don't have a picklock in your left hand, but it is not our story. A person given an opportunity to chose, for example, religion without any pressure and repression will not be free if he does not have other freedoms. To be more precise, FREEDOM without a spectral analysis and components separation.

The trouble is that those destroying the freedom cannot understand these things. They think they remain free, because they have freedom to destroy, humiliate, seize someone else's belongings, take bribes, ruin lives. For them, freedom is a synonym to power. They are unable to understand, maybe due to the lack of intellect or due to a ban on having thoughts, fighting against someone else's freedom, they fight against themselves. Against their own freedom, their family happiness, their future and their children. They are creating the all-destroying atmosphere of slavery and fear for themselves and their families. They will be the first to be destroyed.

We remain free at least because we continue to struggle for freedom. We have freedom to resist, oppose, defend, go to prison, shout the things we find important. It's not a holiday today. It is an ordinary day to continue struggling for freedom. Daily routine. If you are going to drink today, do not raise a toast to freedom of the press. Drink just to freedom.  It will be the best toast today. Oh, just one thing,  happy birthday, Natasha!

Iryna Khalip