An Official or a Human Being?

It's time to stop to carry out insane decrees of Lukashenka.

Current mass arrests of directors and officials reminded me of another December-2010. When the KGB's prison was full of political prisoners. Presidential candidates, leaders of political parties, writers, poets, scholars, and journalists were put behind bars on charges of organization of coup d’état.

A lot of cells were overcrowded with political prisoners and officials. For example, Zmitser Bandarenka, the head of the election campaign of the presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, was in the cell with the Chief Engineer of the Minsk Tractor Plant, Deputy Prosecutor in one of the regions, senior officers of the Armed Forces, the Economic Crime Department and Interior Ministry troops. Uladzimir Kabets, the Chief Sannikov's team, shared a cell with the Chief of the crime investigation Office of the Economic Crime Investigation Department of the State Control Committee and the Volodarka prison warden. Somewhere a former Air Defence commander was in one of cells of the remand prison.

My cellmates took lower positions - former chief of the Entrepreneurship and Licensing Department of the Economic Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee and chief accountant of a large Minsk company. And we had that typical type of friendship that could happen only in a prison. First of all, that was a moral support and mutual assistance. I was arrested in the editorial office; I had no underwear, clothes, soap or a toothbrush. Poor parcels were allowed later. Girls who were imprisoned for several months gave me clothes and food. And I will be sincerely grateful for it till the end of my days.

Political prisoners in the remand prison caused drastic changes there. Both us and officials had to go through hell: prison guards were replaced by chasteners in black masks who beat detainees, twisted arms, chained them, and forced to stand naked for hours in the cold. Not to give up we had to stick together.

But there was one thing which made everyone special. That was not a difference, but a peculiar thing. Political prisoners were there because they demanded to hold fair elections. This is a right cause and people in the world and in Belarus protest and require our release. But officials not useful for the system anymore were demoralized. They all were successful, decided fates and big business, and then they faced shameful arrest and humiliating confiscation. And there was no one but relatives to take a stand for them. Even a lawyer is not trustworthy, because he closely works with the prosecution.

It was dangerous to discuss political issues. They listened to us. But my cellmates whispered that they used to read the Charter with pleasure and they understood what the opposition did right things and that lawlessness must be stopped.

Six years passed. Cells of Amerikanka are overcrowded again, but with loyal officials, directors, businessmen, police officers, officers of intelligence services. Once my friend joked that it's time to build a separate bulk - "a director’s one".

Now people who used to keep up to the times - "burned, ruined, tattered prejudices" - "go through purgatory". And yet those who were humbly speechless when former colleagues - Chairman of the Central Election Commission Viktar Hanchar, vice-speaker of the Supreme Council Henadz Karpenka, Interior Minister Yury Zakharanka - were killed, when Prime Minister, banker Mikhail Chyhir, Minister of Foreign Economic Affairs Mikhail Marynich, directors of the Minsk Tractor Plant and "Atlant" Leanid Kaluhin and Mikhail Lyavonau, director of the best kolkhoz Rassvet Vasil Staravojtau were jailed.

This list is long. The list of repressed officials and businessmen are much greater than the opposition one. In most cases they all were forgotten, because their relatives and colleagues were afraid to apply even to human rights activists and they having gone through nine circles of hell were silent or simply died.

Historian Vadzim Rahovin wrote about Stalin's henchmen: "Weakness of will and obedience were not features of their character, but an inevitable consequence of defeat caused by the continued pressure of relentless will of the tyrant".

If their silence and accommodation was a flotation ring, it was only temporary - the life noosed around their necks.

Today, it is obvious that Lukashenka is rapidly losing control not only over the collapsing economy. He is now gripped by a fear and panic. Hence, there is chaos in actions, mass arrests, personnel cleansing.

Today he perceives every citizen as an "opposition member", to say nothing of democrats, independent journalists and civil rights activists, officials, businessmen, directors.

It is clear that these people cannot take the side of democracy and the people at once. But they can sabotage most anti-popular and stupid decisions - in the form of, for example, a quiet "sit-down strike". And when the power finally crumbles, we hope for more active actions.

Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of charter97.org