Stop!

Just don't tell me that "insult of Lukashenka" does not bear a severe punishment.

The most disgusting and terrible paper in my criminal case is not at all "testimony", not indictment and not records of searches. These are messages to the guardianship authorities about the child left without paternal supervison. And things that followed it were even more terrible.

And now when I read that Brest activists of the European Belarus Andrei and Palina Sharenda-Panasyuk are now suspects in a criminal case I think about their children. They have two children. The elder one is 8 years old. The younger is a baby. He was born on March 25, Freedom Day, last year.

And this March his mother was detained. Lactating mother was taken down the nick for 12 hours. She was detained near the shop she dropped into to buy products. She was taken to the police station with eggs and a piece of meat. They knew that she was alone at home. She stayed with children and could only drop into the nearest store. They waited for her near the store. What if she was with children? Would she spent 12 hours at the police station with a baby? I guess, yes.

On March 13 Palina was detained at 7 am on a Brest bus stop after the March of Non-Spongers. And again she spent 12 hours at the police station. And at the same time guardianship authorities came to them who, for some reason, never respond to messages about hungry and scrubby children of drug addicts and alcoholics, but always arrive with the police to families of opposition members in a few minutes. Or they send an urgent "social inspection", as in the case with Ales Lahvinets, to make a list of furniture and curtains.

However, the guardianship authorities came to Brest activists earlier as well. Two years ago when there was one child in the family the guardianship authorities came to the Sharendas to inspect housing conditions. They were honest: "We have received the paper from the KGB. You might know the reason why." Two years ago they at least did not lie. This summer their children were with the grandmother, Palina's mother. And they came at that moment. They tried to intimidate her with stories about scandals in the family and letters to the police. That was not about her to believe in it, of course. And they stepped back only for some time. Now it is clear.

Now Palina and Andrei are suspects in the crimial case "insult of Lukashenka". The slogan on the March of Non-Spongers was the reason (I cannot but quote it): "Lukashenka, you are a freak! Stop stealing from the people!" There was also a "witness" who saw Andrei and Pauline hanging out a slogan - for some reason, on different days, but this is nothing, isn't it?

The other thing is important and concerning. Suspects are followed by accused. And then the status "defendants" goes. The husband and the wife. The way it was with me and Andrei. And it makes you howl. I know that the guardianship authorities come next. And this is the worst thing, I think, in modern repressions. With the possible exception of absence of camps for families of the people's enemies.

Just don't tell me that "insult of Lukashenka" does not bear a severe punishment, because the sanction bears the punishment not exceeding two years. In 2004 Valery Levaneuski and Aliaksandr Vasilyeu were sentenced for that term. As it is usually said "dvushechka". Journalists Mikalai Markevich and Pavel Mazheika were sentenced to two years in a penal settlement. And if the case is taken to court, it will not possible to stay clear. Unless an object of the insult, until it's too late, figures out what is best - quietly "waste" this shameful criminal case and forget about the family of Sharenda forever. It would be better for him, of course, just to leave voluntarily, but he cannot do it without our help. We will have to help him.

But first we should help the Sharendas. To protect them from the KGB, the police, the Investigative Committee, the court and the guardianship authorities. I don't know how to do it. We must come up with it together. At least, we can morally, financially support them. And if it comes to the trial to gather in Brest. I still think that if there had been a half of those who came to the Square then, Sannikov, Statkevich could not have been imprisoned for 5-6 years. I do not blame anyone and I understand everything: after December 19 the whole country was strongly depressed. It was hard to leave a bed then, to say nothing of going somewhere. Everyone wanted to hide and say "quitsies". But, damn it, what if... I wish I could call this subjunctive mood the support.

But I could not. But the previous experience, even an unsuccessful one, should be taken into account. Maybe it can help those who are just going to face this nightmare. Including us.

Iryna Khalip for Charter97.org