Lukashenka’s words about Statkevich made political prisoner laugh

The wife of the political prisoner, Maryna Adamovich, had a conversation with her husband over the phone.

Yesterday at the press-conference Lukashenka recalled his political opponent, a presidential candidate in 2010 Mikalai Statkevich, who is still imprisoned. Today the political prisoner called his wife Maryna Adamovich, and as said by her, “he was just shouting with laughing.” To the question why her husband was laughing, she answered:

“He was laughing at everything! He was in good spirits, full of energy. And certainly, in particular he was laughing as he had been told that Lukashenka had mentioned him. Strange as it may seem, he was unaware of that. I thought that in the penal colony all of the inmates would be obliged to listen to the press-conference. He didn’t answer that, he just laughed.

Now Mikalai has been transferred to the unit. He says jokingly that there is a “court” prisoner there now. The administration is afraid that he would get into the society of other prisoners. He is isolated, he is kept in the same premises with the headquarters, and certainly contacts of Mikalai with others are limited to a maximum. But as said by him, the unit of prisoners where he is kept now is a demonstration unit, everything is newly repaired and fresh. "It is really a strong contrast,” he said.

We remind that yesterday Lukashenka repeated several times that Statkevich is not a politician for him, and he even swore by his children. The wife of the political prisoner said that there is nothing to discuss: in realty the situation is obviously the opposite.

In May 2011 the court of Leninski district of Minsk sentenced Statkevich to 6 years of imprisonment on charges of organising riots following the day of the presidential elections on December 19, 2010. He began to serve his term in correctional facility No. 17 in Shklou, but confinement conditions for him were toughened in January 2012. Statkevich was transferred to prison No. 4 in Mahilou for three years. He returned to correctional facility No. 17 in Shklou on January 12.

The 58-year-old Mikalai Statkevich is the only presidential candidate in Belarus, who is still kept behind the bars.