19 March 2024, Tuesday, 14:04
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Andrei Sharenda: Regions Ready to Take Pitchforks

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Andrei Sharenda: Regions Ready to Take Pitchforks

The next wave of protests may start in the regions.

Activist of the European Belarus campaign Andrei Sharenda stated in the interview with Charter97.org.

- Andrei, the other day the Investigative Committee of the Brest region has stopped the criminal prosecution against you and your wife because of your banner "Lukashenka, you're freak! Stop stealing from the people!" Why do you think the authorities did that?

- That was a surprise. I guess this case will come up. There can be two reasons. The first is that today Lukashenka does not need new political prisoners, that is why the case is discontinued. The order from above followed and the persecution stopped.

The West puts pressure. The support of people was visible, even commentaries in public media prove it. People write that our slogan is the thing everyone in the country agrees with now.

The second is that the authorities themselves launched the promotion of the slogan. It became clear that if it came to court, this phrase would appear on all fences.

Unfortunately, many independent media refused to cover this story and showed themselves at a disadvantage. Some categorically refused to write the name of the slogan, there was an impression that we were judged for the "That'll Do" banner, but we were judged for the "Lukashenka, you are a freak! Stop stealing from the people!". I think many Belarusians support this slogan. This is the second reason why the authorities decided to stop the persecution.

- What was the reaction of policemen?

- When the precinct officers were engaged in the case, they laughed and said us wanted to find guilty. There was an informant who gave false testimony. No one wanted to initiate the criminal case, everyone laughed at the situation. Then the case was taken to the Investigative Committee, Major Alena Tsikhanovich investigated it.

I can say she had an intention to make us guilty. There was no evidence. Today I can say frankly that the investigator Tsikhanovich framed the case. Everything started as a joke and ended in a serious affair. There was a fake witness who allegedly recognized Palina by her hair and me by the stubble. Pages of the case began to disappear. If I paid attention to it, they told me that there were none. This case was developed just for us.

- What were the results of the examination of this slogan?

- When there was the examination under the administrative case I managed to read materials. There were two examinations. The results of the first were neutral, it was said that the slogan was "offensive, obscene," but not "insulting," a foul language was not used. The results of the second examination conducted in Minsk, were more stringent, it was said that the slogan was "insulting" and addressed specifically to Lukashenka.

The examination was obviously made-to-order and was adjusted to our case. The Investigative Committee does everything possible to find you guilty if necessary.. This is the way the Patriot Case is being investigated. I did not know before the way it was done, now I know it from my own experience. The case consists of two volumes.

- Brest became one of the cities that actively supported the protests of this spring. What is the situation in the regions?

- There is a lull. Brest residents witnessed repressions and arrests. The authorities began to imitate "stability." Salaries "increase" only on paper. They came up with an average salary of 777 rubles. But people know that this is a lie.

In Brest people can find an additional work, which is not possible for Pinsk, Baranavichy, Kobryn, people there earn 150-200 rubles.

The situation is explosive, protests can break out due to some trifle. The next wave of protests will start in the regions. Previous events ocurred in Baranavichy, Maladzechna, Pinsk proved that.

I have a house in the village, we often drive through Vysokaye town - a small settlement located in the very west of Belarus. this is an ordinary town with four-storey panel houses. Now it is filled with greenhouses instead of playgrounds. People grow cucumbers, potatoes, cabbage. It happens in the town.

- It was like that in the late 1980s and the early 1990s...

- Yes, now there are greenhouses. People turn to farming.

- What is the forecast of the situation?

- Any economic or political problem can lead to a social explosion. If people are dissatisfied in the regions, they may set fire to a District Executive Committee.

It will be done by those who have nothing to lose, pensioners, those who are not able to leave abroad and have no future here.

People of 40-50 years old, pensioners come to protests in Pinsk. Young people are afraid, but they have nothing to lose. Such people are very determined.

The protest spring began in Minsk this year, when the March of Angry Belarusians passed there. That March was an example and became an impetus for the regions. This time everything will be different. Actions will start in the regions and a chain reaction will take place in other cities. Strikes will begin at the enterprises, then protests will flood the regional cities, then it will come back in Minsk.

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