Letters to Statkevich cannot pass censorship

The political prisoner receives empty envelopes instead of letters.

Bialynichy-based journalist Barys Vyrvich received a letter from political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich on August 15. Mikalai Statkevich writes he received an empty envelope instead of a letter from Barys Vyrvich, Viasna human rights centre reports.

The political prisoner writes: “I received an empty (expect for the enclosed new envelope) envelope instead of your letter with a mark 'didn't pass censorship'. I don't know what dangerous you wrote. I hope you didn't use obscenities.”

According to Barys Vyrvich, his letter was absolutely innocent. He wrote about news in the democratic community of the Mahilou region, the situation in the region and the presidential campaign. The journalist thinks censors could have found dangerous the information about democratic activists of the Mahilou region who joined the initiative group to nominate Mikalai Statkevich as a presidential candidate.

Barys Vyrvich notes that Mikalai Statkevich wrote his letter on August 1, but it was delivered only on August 15, though the journalist lives only 40 kilometres from Mahilou, where Mikalai Statkevich is held in prison No. 4.

Mikalai Statkevich thanked all those who joined his initiative group. The political prisoner also writes about his attitude to the attempts to “legitimise what is called elections in our country” and expresses his vision of future developments.