Lukashenka keeps holding Sannikau’s wife and son as hostages

They are not going to let Iryna Khalip out of Belarus.

A Russian Novaya Gazeta’s reporter and the wife of a former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau Iryna Khalip is not going to secretly escape Belarus, although the authorities are provoking her to do that.

The journalist, who was sentenced to freedom restriction after the events of 19 December 2010, has to stay in the city and be home after 10 p.m. However, Lukashenka is never tired of repeating the contrary: allegedly Iryna “simply does not want to” leave the country’s territory. Now his words were confirmed by the deputy Prosecutor General Aliaksei Stuk, Belsat reports.

“It is funny that everyone is trying to discuss the illiterate words of the deputy Prosecutor General. It seems to me that he does not have a legal education”, - Iryna Khalip notes. She reminded: the law on the procedures for entering and leaving the country provides that all the convicts, whether probationers or with a postponement, cannot leave the country’s territory. And Iryna Khalip was sentenced to two years of imprisonment with a two years postponement.

The editor of the Charter’97 web-site Natalia Radzina, another figurant of the 19 December case, thinks that the Prosecutor General’s office was forced to confirm Lukashenka’s words. “Actually, the prosecutor had to justify himself after Lukashenka’s statement  which said that Iryan Khalip was allegedly free. It is obvious that Lukashenka lied. I can imagine what they thought [in the prosector’s office]: “What a fool! He lied and we have to justify ourselves…” That is why the prosecutor opted for vague wording: the court’s findings it is not stated that Iryna Khalip is forbidden to leave the country”, - Radzina emphasized. She believes that no one is going to let Iryna Khalip out. Even if she addresses the prosecutor’s office with a written appeal on the possibility of her travel abroad, the response will be negative.

“Lukashenka takes revenge at Andrei Sannikau, the strongest of his competitors, which was proved by the latest presidential elections. That is why he keeps his wife and son as hostages, since while they are in Belarus, Sannikau is restricted in his activities abroad”, - Radzina noted.

However, the journalist of Novaya Gazeta is going to write such an appeal. “At least to finish this comedy. I am so disgusted by all these people with their villainous lies that it will be a pleasure for me to put their faces right into their deceit one more time”, - she explained.

In Iryna Khalip’s opinion, Lukashenka’s statements about the freedom of her movement before the end of the punishment term are nothing but a provocation. The dictator, she thinks, hopes that Andrei Sannikau’s wife will try to leave, and handcuffs will be waiting for her after that.