Valyantsina Alinevich: Any “election” is out of question until political prisoners’ release

Participation in the dictator’s imitation of the “election” could result in a situation when even more young people will suffer the same fate as the regime’s prisoners.

It was said by Valyantsina Alinevich, the mother of Ihar Alinevich, a political prisoner, who is kept in Vitsba-3 penal colony, in her interview to charter97.org website.

- There has not been any information about the state of health and incarceration conditions of Ihar for a long time. Meanwhile, temperatures are abnormally high in Belarus now. Have you had any news from Ihar, how is he enduring that in the conditions which are already far from being easy?

- The problem is, we have not had any news of our son for a long time. The last letter received by me was a short message on a postcard sent on June 9, and there have not been any news since June 10. I am really distressed for him, I am trying to calm myself and hope for the better. He had no visits of the lawyer either; first of all, our lawyer is away on a holiday now. And secondly, every time the meeting with the lawyer causes problems on the part of the colony administration.

It is difficult to obtain information, as Ihar has spent lots of time in the punishment cell. And in the isolation punishment cell a person has no opportunity to write something. Pencils, paper, books – everything is forbidden there. That is why he simply could not write a message there. One thing is left: to maintain composure, as neither the so-called Belarusian “laws”, nor the lawyer can help. The prison system is rather closed, and they are doing whatever they want.

Ihar says to us, parents: it will be the best support for me when you will lead a normal life, have personal self-fulfilment, it will be the best support for me. And he asks us not to worry under any circumstances.

- You have mentioned that a visit of a lawyer could cause problems on the part of the administration…

- Ihar has made it clear that a visit of the lawyer often involves negative effects and negative reaction of the administration. In Vitsba-3 penal colony, where he is kept, one should warn in advance, as it is always a shock for them. I know that the same things happen in other colonies, as the recent news about Mikalai Dzyadok and Mikalai Statkevich say that the administration of the colony can simply refuse entry for the lawyer, on all kind of contrived pretexts.

The three powers that the state should have are not functioning in our country. Only one power is functioning, the one which emanates from one man. And the rest is simply a masquerade.

- You have justly observed that the rest of political prisoners are in the same situation. Relatives of Mikalai Dzyadok have addressed the administration of the colony and the Corrections committee recently, but there was no answer. Have you tried to find out something about the state of your son in other agencies?

- You know, this situation is very transparent for me, so I try not to waste my time and my soul. It is their job – to abuse people. And for us he is our son. And I do not bother them with my questions, as I believe that it is useless. In the same way as the future “election.” In some cases I certainly write addresses, but if the best happens I receive only a “kiss-off”. Sometimes answers are laughable.

When I petitioned the office of prosecutor regarding abduction of my son in Moscow, so that the persons engaged in the illegal abduction of a person in a different state would be punished, I was answered that as a mother I do not have a right for such petitions, though that was not true at all under the law. When the prosecutor’s office answers in such a manner, what’s the use of playing their games with them?

- You have mentioned the topic of the presidential “election” in Belarus. to your mind, are any elections possible in the country with political prisoners?

- To give a short answer – certainly no. Until political prisoners’ release any “election”, or even its imitation, is out of the question. I try not to speak with an air of finality, as any person has a right for own choice in life and for own mistakes.

My opinion is: first of all, I choose my child and the future of our country. That is why I am thinking not only about myself, but also about children who can follow the fate of my son. I see many things happening in our country, which a so clear for me, that it is impossible to fool me by any lie related to the “election”.

Besides, I would like to add a few words about the letter written by Maryna Adamovich to European politicians. I was greatly surprised by the interview to the European “MP” Andrei Mamykin.

And I would like to say Mr. Mamykin: we are dry-eyed, we were crying at night and no one was our tears – neither our friends nor our enemies. And his boorish statement that “people found me as a shoulder to cry on, and they were crying for an hour” really insulted me most of all. Neither the KGB, nor the Interior Affairs Ministry and at the court saw my tears., and not only my tears. And this “mister” is not the person to whom we are going to show our weakness.

He was making such rude insinuations that I simply do not envy the European Parliament to have such a “MP”. And I do not envy the country which nominates such “members of the parliament.” To my mind, the fame of notorious Vladimir Solovyov at Russian TV is haunting him. He probably wants to show off in a similar way.

Moreover, he was not positioning himself in any way at that meeting. He was sitting and listening amusedly, and he was not asking many questions. Such people simply discredit themselves and their country.

We remind that on May 27, 2011 the judge of Zavadski district of Minsk Zhanna Khvajnitskaya sentenced Ihar Alinevich to 8 years of imprisonment in the colony with a reinforced regime. He, as well as Mikalai Dziadok and Aliaksandr Frantskevich were accused of organizing a procession in front of the Defence Ministry, and alleged “attacks” on the casino Shangri La and the detention centre in Akrestsina Street, attempted setting on fire the door of "Belarusbank" branch. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Earlier he served the term in a penal colony in Navapolatsk, which was considered the worst according to ecology, however in the beginning of the last year a decision was adopted to disband that colony, and Alinevich was transferred to the colony Vitsba-3.