Maryna Adamovich: But fot the EU pressure, there would be more political prisoners

The West must demand the release of all six political prisoners in Belarus.

Mikolai Statkevich, the ex-candidate for Presidency, has been imprisoned more than four yeas. He is the only one of seven convicted ex-candidates after the presidential elections in 2010 in Belarus, who remains in prison on charges of organizing mass disorders. He was arrested on the night after the presidential elections of December 20, 2010 and sentenced to six years in prison.

These days a human rights campaign has ben launched to remind of Statkevich and the other five political prisoners' fate. Why has political prisoner not been released yet? How does he manage not to lose his heart in conditions of psychological pressure and isolation? His wife Maryna Adamovich talked to Deutsche Welle.

- Why does Lukashenka still keep your husband in prison?

- Dictatorial regime is based on fear and suppression of freedom of an individual. An unbroken person, even in prison, is a danger to him, especially, if it is a political one. Lukashenka realizes that Mikalai is not broken. His aim is to do it by any means. To release him would mean for Lukashenka admission of his own weakness.

- How is Mikalai?

- He has been in prison for more than four years already. This is 1500 days and nights. All that time he spent 3.5 years in a close ward, in remand prison and in jail, and only 6 months in a colony, where he was able to go out, and see grass, trees, and the sky above.

I have recently calculated that over 1500 days in prison I saw him just 35 hours. Seven short visits through the double glass and bars make up 15 hours, and only 20 hours I spent next to him. That was the longest our conjugal visit. Such visits are banned in prisons. And the only things left are letters and occasional phone calls. He was allowed to make a call only once a month. He could speak only 15 minutes, with the time spent dialing a number, and waiting for an answer. I don't know what is going to happen next. I did not have an expected call from the colony three days ago.

- Visits are banned in prisons. How is it difficult to get a permission for calls and letters?

- One has to fight for the most minimum possibility to communicate. I have volumes of correspondence with the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs for an opportunity to receive letters. When for the first time in July 2010 Mikalai was demanded to write a petition, I stopped receiving his letters. He was also denied visits.

-What do you think help him not to lose his heart?

- Mikalai brings me power. It would seem, it should be the other way around. Not me, but he makes me believe that everything will be all right. His power is the faith in what he is doing. When he was free he used to tell that health is our capital and it should be invest in. Therefore, all these years he has been actively going in for sports. But it is impossible to protect the health when being in prison, without sunlight and with disgusting food.

December 17 was the last time I saw him. We were given two hours. I couldn't stop feeling like we saw each other only yesterday and our dialogue continued. As if it never interrupted for a single moment all these years. Even in letters we mention the same things for several times. And during our visits we definitely laugh. As well as during our phone calls.

- Can Mikalai be released before the presidential elections in November?

- Over 1500 days I have heard that Mikalai is about to be released. Nevertheless, he is still in prison. But I cannot stop hoping.

- How do you feel about the fact that democratic forces want to propose him as a single candidate in the presidential elections?

- This is the only acceptable option of opposition's participation in this miry campaign. It is difficult to predict, whether it will improve or worsen Mikalai's fate. Lukashenka may release him to defeat a possible boycott and international non-recognition of another "coronation". It is not my deal to think about what is in Lukashenka's mind.

- Does the EU extend an adequate support to political prisoners of Belarus?

- I am very grateful to European countries and the US for the help which they extended after December 19, 2010. I will always remember German social democrats who were the first to arrive in Belarus to try to help in release of political prisoners. It was a very important message that we were not alone.

But fot the EU pressure, there would be more political prisoners. Definitely, the events in Ukraine, as well as fear and low activity of our civil society lowered attention to Belarus. Besides, we see European attempts to launch a cohesion policy with Belarusian authorities. Officials in Latvia, the EU Presidency, even declare the possibility of inviting Lukashenka to Riga.

- Is it dangerous?

- It is dangerous and inconsistent. No condition of the EU is met by the Belarusian authorities. Any dialogue ends up with talks about civil and political rights. And even, despite allegedly independent Lukashenka's policy with respect to Ukraine, our citizens are being arrested for actions of solidarity with the Ukrainians. Well, how much should we go through the same grief? How many of these "waves of liberalization" we have already experienced? They ended up with a new wave of repressions. It hurts.

Therefore, I call on the EU representatives: please, listen to us. Demand the release of all those who was deprived of liberty for his beliefs. At the moment there are six political prisoners in Belarus: Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Artsem Prakapenka, Jauhen Vaskovich, Yury Rubtsou and Mikalai Statkevich. Do not allow the Belarusian authorities to dictate their terms.