Belarusian Scientist Spoke About Tortures At Akrestsina

Siarhei Haranin served 10 days of arrest.

Siarhei Haranin, Deputy Director for Research at the Yakub Kolas Institute of Linguistics of the State Scientific Institution "Center for Research on Belarusian Culture, Language and Literature" of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, was released after 10 days at the Akrestsina Detention Centre. This, as well as the fact that he was detained, became known the day before, on November 6, writes zerkalo.io.

“I gave a full course of lectures on Belarusian literature of the 11th-15th centuries in full for cellmates during my imprisonment. The number of listeners ranged from 31 to 18 in a 6-seat cell,” the scientist writes on his page.

In addition, the scientist managed to “listen to lectures” on quantum mechanics, Japanese aesthetics, the philosophy of the Pythagoreans, the structure of the human eye, Martin Heidegger's system of philosophy, aircraft jet engines, the history of the submarine fleet from the very beginning to the 21st century, practical methods for cleaning used oil and the history of the Sicilian mafia.

“I took part in the discussion-seminars “The 1917 February Revolution in Russia” and “The Best Works of Modern Foreign and Russian Literature,” he continues to describe his days behind bars.

He also said that there were several prisoners who were being held on criminal charges in the cell together with those detained for political reasons. They were "keeping them cool and even preventing the use of obscene language”. One of the men was mentally ill. According to the scientist, he was not given the necessary medicines, and he was "falling into depression and was afraiding of everything" without it.

“There were two homeless people, but they were there one by one. One of them had the name Sirozha. He was washed before they put me in and he was calmly standing in the corner. Later he was released. Then they brought the next homeless person. But he washed himself, because he himself asked to be imprisoned together with political prisoners. He was even taken out of the cell to do all sorts of work. Once he was given a huge package of prison meatballs in the kitchen, so he brought them to the cell "for everyone". We ate, why not?! He worked hard, earned and brought it to us, he took care of us. Care packages from relatives were prohibited. Of course, we had no underwear, no walks either, everyone coughed from the stale air and our eyes festered. Well, lice - obviously,” writes Siarhei Haranin.

According to him, there were men in the cell with him who were detained by the GUBOPiK. One of them was beaten so much that he could only lie on his stomach.

“It was psychologically easier for those who remember the Soviet Union: we, unlike young people, are not surprised that “this is how people can be treated”, we do not expect anything, we do not hope for anything and we do not believe in anything. Are you in prison? Well, keep serving your term and don't get angry at the "citizen chief", otherwise it will be worse for you. The time will come and everything will return,” the scientist argues.