Uladzimir Niakliayeu: Then I Recalled Missing Politicians – Zakharanka, Hanchar

The exhibition "Letters to political prisoners" was held in Minsk.

On February 12, the exhibition “Letters to political prisoners: from 1996 to our days” opened on the educational and enlightening platform “Territory of Rights” in Minsk. During the event, famous Belarusian writers, public figures and former political prisoners Ales Bialiatski, Dzmitry Drozd and Uladzimir Niakliayeu shared their memories of life behind bars, reports the website of the human rights center “Viasna”.

In particular, they told about their impressions from the first day in prison. And these impressions were quite different.

Ales Bialiatski shared his thoughts about the first days behind bars after being detained in the summer of 2011: “The Financial Investigations Department officer said that they wanted to immediately take me to the Valadarka remand prison. My first day passed there. I got into the cell, where there were already 18 people. I just goggled at it all, because what you feel in a situation like this is a certain shock. I was asked under what article I was imprisoned, I answered, then they showed me my plank bed. I lay down on it, I was lying there staring around. And I though to myself: “What have I done to get here?”

Then it turned out that mostly builders were in that cell. One of them turned out to be my dacha neighbor. Then, a more confidential exchange of information started. A few days later I was transferred to another cell, where there were already six people. There I was immediately offered a plank bed, which previously belonged to the “president” - presidential candidate Dzmitry Us.”

During the event, Ales Bialiatski presented his collection of prison stories “Prison Notebooks”.

Uladzimir Niakliayeu told about the first night after being detained in December 2010: “I was taken at night right from the intensive care department. And it was a very interesting night. I was dragged along the corridor straight from under the droppers. I later understood why I was not allowed to lie down until the morning - it was done to intimidate me. After all, the task was to find out about financing. They dragged me into the cold almost naked and threw me in the bus. All your resources say “save yourself”, but you don’t know how. Then I recalled the missing politicians - Zakharanka, Hanchar. I looked where the car would go: to jail or somewhere in the forest outside the belt road. If to the forest - then, apparently, there is no chance anymore, but I was brought to the “Amerikanka” KGB prison, which I was glad at that time.

In “Amerikanka”, they immediately started breaking me down: they showed photos of guns, grenades and said that it was found in my desk. They wanted to make me reveal the sources of financing, under the threat of using a heavier article (which provided for the death penalty). In short, it was not the best night of my life ... "

Dzmitry Drozd: It turns out there were a lot of “first days” in prison. The first day in the pre-trial detention center, and the first day at Valdarka detention facility in one cell, and the first day in another cell, etc. What usually happens? A cell beholder asks you about your orientation and the article under which you are there, and what people you have communicated with. Then you are given a place on the plank bed, first on the upper tier, and when the lower one is released, you are moving down the so-called “privileged floor”.

Also, former political prisoners spoke about the impact of prison experience on the ability to create artistic works. Poet and musician Eduard Akulin and poet Halina Dubianetskaya closed the event.