“Statement saying there are no political prisoners is treachery of us!”

A number of statements saying there remains no political prisoners in Belarus after release of Kazulin, Kim and Parsyukevich has increased lately. Participants of the trial of 14, sentence on them has recently come in force.

Tatsyana Tishkevich:

– I’d like to offer everyone who thinks an issue of political prisoners has been solved to read Criminal and Correctional Code. We have only two hours of spare time a day since the punishment comes into force. This time can be reduced. We can’t attend public laces such as stadiums, clubs, we can’t visit dwelling houses even of close relatives without permission of an inspector. We must let inspection officers in at any time. If I sleep and can’t hear the doorbell, it is a violation. Crossing streets in irregular places is violation. Three violations lead to imprisonment. Although I don’t think these conditions can be called freedom.

Paval Vinahradau:

– What concerns absence of political prisoners can be disputed. Kazulin, Kim and Parsyukevich are at large. But nobody knows what will happen to 10 people, sentenced to restraint of liberty. Naturally, home arrest is better than prison, but a person can’t live his or her normal live. In my view, it is not important whether we have political prisoners or don’t have. There are no political prisoners in Germany and France, but the situation in these countries differs from ours. There are many opinions why they have been released, but in my view, it was made for recognition of election for the “parliament”. It is still hard to find independent press, pones of democratic activists are still tapped, people are still detained for stickers, banners and even blue ribbons, courts continue to deliver unfair, put it mildly, sentences. This list is very long.

Elections are necessary for the countries where there are no Yarmoshyna and people like she. Frankly speaking, I don’t understand why the regime holds the election. Boycott is the most adequate response to this lawlessness.

Mikhal Subach:

– My attitude towards release of Kazulin, Kim and Parsyukevich is positive. However, we can’t say there are no political prisoners in the country. Sentences to many people, participants of the trial of 14, have recently come in force. A person can’t be officially called a political prisoner since this moment. It is unpleasant for me that I can’t take part in political life from the beginning of my term. I have two hours a day to go for a walk or do shopping, but the rest of the time I must be at work or at home. How can this life be named other than imprisonment?

Maybe, we shouldn’t have announced boycott at the early stage of the campaign, we should have observed how the authorities would behave during the preparation. In my view, withdrawal of all democratic candidates would be the best thing to do, because democratic activists are still persecuted, it is banned to spread independent press, candidates are questioned and oppressed. In this situation boycott will be the only right decision.

It should be reminded that Alyaksei Bondar, Artsyom Dubski, Mikhal Kryvau, Mikhal Pashkevich, Alyaksandr Straltsou, Alyaksandr Charnyshou, Tatsyana Tishkevich, Mikhal Subash and Paval Vinahradau are sentenced to two years of restraint of liberty without sending them to penal facilities for participation in protest actions of entrepreneurs. Minor Maksim Dashuk sentenced to 1.5 year of restraint of liberty.