Volha Mikalaichyk: It's Not That Easy To Break Our Guys

Belarusians will not leave their patriots in trouble.

Public activist and director Volha Mikalaichyk stated that in an interview to Charter97.org:

– The media reported that political prisoner Dzmitry Palienka is in a colony, under the "special supervision." He was put a special tag on, which he must constantly wear. How can you comment on this?

– This is the persecution of a political prisoner and the intensification of pressure. Perhaps the regime is trying to get some reaction from him. After all, they cannot be afraid of a little boy who weighs 50 kilograms. I can lift him up in my arms. Dzmitry is a vegan, he does not eat meat, milk, cheese.

This pressure is a signal for Europe and Belarusians: there will be pressure.

The authorities were outraged that the Critical Mass dared to cycle around the city without asking for their permission, that they allegedly dared to pull at the collar of the cop, who after that threw the guy weighing 50 kilos, knocked out his teeth and started beating him. There is no evidence that he tugged at his collar.

The authorities are trying to intimidate people so that they sit like mice under a broom. But this time has passed, no one will sit there, we will not leave Dzmitry. I received through one person and sent him $ 50. Dzmitry writes beautiful letters in the Belarusian language, which are illustrated by kittens and flowers. He's such a good guy.

The authorities declare by their actions that there is a dictatorship in our country, the laws do not work, they show that they are the successors of Stalin and the NKVD.

We, the activists, will do everything to stop this, because Dzmitry is not to blame. Such young people would be proud of in any country. Dzmitry is a real son of the Belarusian land, a worthy one and courageous.

– Heroes of popular protests, which are released, say that the conditions of detention have significantly worsened. What can you say about this?

– The conditions worsened not only for political prisoners. The huge money, which the UN allocates for the improvement of the penitentiary system and conditions for maintenance, are embezzled by officials. I ate the meatballs at the Akrestsin prison, the result was the poisoning and diarrhea.

Europe does not monitor and does not control where the allocated money goes, because no EU commissions visit Belarusian prisons: the Akrestsin prison, the Zhodzina colony, let them come to a Belorussian Medical-Labour Centre and see what conditions there are there. Europe allocates a huge amount of money to the "Belarusian people", and they settle in the pockets of Lukashenka's officials.

One must also ask Europe, why huge funds are allocated to Belarusian society, and conditions in prisons are only getting worse. And I’d rather say nothing about political prisoners.

I write letters to the figurants of the "patriots' case" Siarhei Strybulski, Zhaunou-Miliukou, I write, and the letters never come. Are they afraid of me? They put badges on our friends, red and yellow, they call them "extremists", they try to persuade them to collaborate, but it’s not that easy to break our guys.