Maryna Adamovich: Pressure on political prisoners is challenge to West

The wife of imprisoned former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich says about the increased pressure on political prisoners.

Former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich waits for a new trial for violating the rules of the Shklou correctional facility, where he serves his term for organising mass disorders on the presidential elections on 19 December 2010. Maryna Adamovich, the wife of the opposition politician, tells Deutsche Welle about provocations and increased pressure on Statkevich and other political prisoners. Adamovich thinks the disregard of human rights demonstrated by the Belarusian authorities during what they call a dialogue with the EU and the US is a challenge to the West.

- What is now happening to Mikalai Statkevich in the Shklou correctional facility?

- The charge with persistent violations of prison rules threatens Mikalai with a stricter punishment and transfer to a maximum security prison. He is waiting for the trial in the closed cell that gets no sun, where ventilation practically doesn’t work and walls are dark-blue. Correctional officers decided Mikalai must spend the rest of his term in prison.

It’s the same story again. Mikalai Statkevich began to serve his 6-year term in the Shklou correctional facility, but he was transferred to the Mahilou prison for 3 years for the refusal to apply for a pardon. He returned back in January 2015. But he faced pressure and provocations during the first days after his return.

Mikalai got a dozen of warnings for violating the regime during two weeks. He was deprived of the right to make phone calls and receive parcels from the outside. What is the most painful is that he was deprived of visits. His return to the correctional facility gave us a hope that we can see each other. I visited Mikalai one time for 4 years and 4 months, but even that visited from reduced from 3 days to 20 hours.

- What can you say about provocations against Mikalai Statkevich?

- Mikalai’s request for sending him to a working unit was rejected, and he was sent to the maintenance unit, which mostly consists of those who cooperate with the prison authorities. He was ordered to clean the territory, but the rate of work was increased more than 20-fold. Mikalai took it as a mockery. He hadn’t seen the sun and grass for three years, but he didn’t protest. He began to record all facts of violations by the administration, including the fact that inmates were made to put pressure on political prisoners in exchange for an early release. Statkevich was charged with violations when he refused to perform the increased rate of work.

The Belarusian political prisoners still need Europe’s help.

The Belarusian authorities like to speak about global improvements in the penitentiary system. I can say that nothing has changed for three years that Mikalai spent in prison. Provocations, pressure and unbearable confinement conditions still exist. There’s a very low stool and a very high table in the cell, where Statkevich waits for the trial. His chin lies on the table top when he writes. Isn’t it a mockery?

- How do you explain the strengthened pressure on Mikalai Statkevich if Minsk declares its readiness to improve relations with the West?

- I must say that pressure grew not only on Mikalai, but on other political prisoners – Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Yauhen Vaskovich, Artsiom Prakapenka and Yury Rubtsou.

Judge yourself. Dziadok was given an additional year of imprisonment only five days before the release. Alinevich can be transferred to a stricter prison, because he gets more and more warnings. A new criminal case was opened against Yury Rubtsou, who can be transferred from an open-type facility to a correctional facility.

It takes place at the same time when western politicians actively visit Belarus. In Europe, political forces change one another at elections and problems are solved through negotiations. In Minsk, where the authorities haven’t changed for more than 20 years, officials understand they can “outlive” Europeans.

The Belarusian authorities want the West in terms of an ultimatum to take them as they are. It means that no changes in the country are expected. I think it is a challenge to western politicians, who hope it is possible to talk to Lukashenka.