Andrei Sannikau: The Names of Political Prisoners Should Be Heard Every Day

The people will be freed by economic sanctions.

Andrei Sannikau, the leader of the European Belarus civil campaign and a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, commented on the possibility of releasing Viktar Babarika and other political prisoners in an interview with Current Time.

- There is an immutable rule: it is forbidden to broadcast such information (about the possible release of Viktar Babarika - ed.), make it public. Probably, people who have not been in jail will not understand this.

- I will specify what information you have in mind: that he could potentially be released?

- Yes. Leaks of such information are made deliberately, so Babaryka is not released and is not even thought to be released. If something happened, there is no way they would talk about it.

I want to refer to one story that happened in September 2011. Then there was a leak of information. I was in jail then. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Nickolai Mladenov came to Lukashenka and made a deal to release us in exchange for Lukashenka's beginning of negotiations. And you know, my friends and I, we really, even while in the KGB pre-trial detention center, talked about how we really entered into negotiations on how to avoid a crisis and avoid default. And, probably, something worked somewhere.

But then, for some reason, such information passed through the Polish Foreign Ministry that Mladenov agreed that we would be released. At that time, there were two presidential candidates - Mikalai Statkevich and me. Then this information was picked up by the beloved by Poles politician Aliaksandr Milinkevich. And everything died out. And then, the torture just began.

Therefore, it is out of the question to release such information when a person is in prison. When a person, a politician, is in prison, he is declared a political prisoner; it is necessary to say that everything must be done to release him. There should be photographs, posters of Babaryka, Statkevich, Seviarinets, Tsikhanouski. And not such petty leaks, which probably indicate not a very good understanding of the situation.

- Pavel Latushka said about this after all.

- And what is Pavel Latushka? Pavel Latushka is a man of the system who worked for Lukashenka. He did not spend a day in jail; Pavel Latushka does not know what it means to be in a KGB pre-trial detention center. I know. Therefore, I tell you how it really is.

- The reason why I emphasize that this was Pavel Latushka is that it would seem that he is a supporter of Babaryka.

- No, I don't see Babarika's supporters at all now. Somehow I don't hear his name. Because he really was a very bright candidate who did a lot to ensure that all processes, including protests, began in the country. However, he said that he was not the opposition and would do everything according to the law. And he paid for it.

For some reason now, I do not hear either his surname or the surname of Tsikhanouski, much less Mikolai Statkevich, Pavel Severinets, Yauhen Afnahel. We had an immutable rule, and it remains: when people are in prison, especially the leaders of political processes, thier names should be heard every day. I don't see this today.

And if they come out, then the negotiation process can begin. If they are in jail, there should not be even a thought about any dialogue or negotiations.

- Is there a chance that Lukashenka will let someone go?

- If there is pressure. An element of international sanctions is missing. As soon as they start to impose economic sanctions, [then there will be a chance]. For example, there is such a Norwegian company - Yara. If Yara, which buys potash fertilizers from Belaruskali (Belaruskali is now pressing all workers), said that we are leaving your market until you reinstate everyone you fired at work and stop choking the strikers; otherwise, we will terminate all cooperation with you. Even this would help to free political prisoners in Salihorsk.

This would help free the political leaders of Belarus, who are now in prison. Yes, of course, Lukashenka releases. But he himself will never release; he himself uses political prisoners only for trade.

- Tsikhanouskaya confirmed a meeting with the US President, elect Joe Biden, will take place. Can she apply pressure at this meeting, and does this generally mean that the United States will recognize her as the elected president of Belarus?

- Here again, there is no confirmed meeting. You are talking with a person who has worked in diplomacy for a long time; I can never refer to inaccurate, incorrect information.

- I am referring to Tsikhanouskaya, who said this to Belsat.

- And I tell you that you check the information; there is no invitation, no confirmed meeting. I would very much like it to take place because it would be really important for us. But I don't know why these rumors [circulate] about Babariko, about a meeting with Biden. Why is it necessary, and who needs it? I don't quite understand what goals are being pursued.

Because today, I repeat this all the time, the main subject of politics in Belarus is the people who are protesting. And everything needs to be done in order to somehow alleviate his fate. Again, yesterday, under 500 people were detained; again, there is torture, beatings. Today they have already reached the point that they detained their own, in general, grandparents, not even parents. This is what we need to think about now.

I don't understand why these leaks create a smokescreen and take our attention away from the main thing. Yes, we must part with Lukashenka; he no longer has any right or even opportunities to remain the ruler of Belarus, which is what he wants so much. Yes, he will release political prisoners if there is pressure and resign if there is pressure. Here Russia could also help, but, unfortunately, Lavrov's last visit was so strange that I don't even know how to evaluate it.