“Fiodar, you are 21m you are living in 21st century, and you’ll be happy!”

One of the arrested after December 19 events in Belarus is Fiodar Mirzayanau, a third-year-student of the Belarusian State Economic University.

Fiodar Mirzayanau is not a member of any pro-democracy youth organisation. Right after the events the young man served an administrative arrest of 15 days in Zhodzina prison. After an arrest on January 25 he was charged with committing a crime under Article 293 Parts 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus “Mass riots”, and faces from 8 to 15 years in prison.

Fiodar was born on December 9, 1990 in Baranavichy, Brest region. When he was in junior school, answering a question about his nationality, and having learnt from his parents that one can independently choose one’s nationality, (Fiodar’s father is Tatar, his mother is Belarusian), Fiodar stated proudly: “I am Belarusian.”

Fiodar was fond of reading since very early age. He was called “A walking encyclopedia” sometimes. Since the 9th class of his grammar school, thanks to his knowledge and support of brilliant teachers Fiodar has become an active participant of academic competitions in history, computer science and geography.

In 2008 he entered the prestigious faculty of management of the Belarusian State Economic University, he studied economic cybernetics. He had the highest score according to the results of entrance tests (340). When he became a student, he became interested in models of economic development, and very soon Fiodar was involved in scientific work.

Right after his arrest, a meeting of his group’s students was held. They asked to reconsider the measure of restraint for him and to release him. During the meeting his fellow students recalled how Fiodar, who knows history well, organized outings of the student’s group to Vyazynka and Stoubtsy, the native places of Belarusian poets Yanka Kupala and Yakub Kolas. Students told about his vast plans for the future, about his talent, especially in the spheres he is majoring in, about his desire to finish the university and give himself up to development of the Belarusian economy.

Unfortunately, investigators have not taken to heart the voice of the public and continue to keep the young man in prison. Now Fiodar stays in the notorious cell number 69 in the pre-trial detention centre in Valadarski Street, in a cold, smoke-filled and overcrowded cell, where all rules of incarceration are violated. For the third month investigation is trying to obtain from the young man confession about to which youth organizations he belongs, and who had given money to him, which reminds a search for a black cat in a dark room, while the black cat is absent there.

Fiodar’s father, Rym, is famous as a talented engineer in of oil and gas industry. His mother, Liudmila, is a scientist, well-known in the country and abroad, Cand. Sc. (Psychology), Associate Professor, an outstanding representative of the education sphere of Belarus. Now their life has turned into a regular torture: they fear for life and health of their son, and they cannot work intensively any more. Fiodar’s elder brother, a lawyer, his brother’s family, relatives, friends and acquaintances are following the events in the life of Fiodar and his educated family worriedly. Grandmothers, Nina and Daniya, who live in Belarus and in Russia respectively, who are practicing different religions, pray to God, or to Allah, and their prayer is the same: they want justice finally be served and their dearly loved grandchild to be released. Fiodar’s cousin Milana, a school-girl studying in the third form, has written a letter to prison, and her cheerful picture was accompanied by a short text: “Fiodar, you are 21, you are living in the 21st century, and you will be happy!”