Alyaksandr Klaskouski: Trade is beginning…

Trade in political prisoners is beginning, as analysts and human rights activists forecasted.

“I think the authorities have started a game relating to a clearly political case. The game is being played to offer a dialogue to the West. Trade in political prisoners is beginning, as analysts and human rights activists forecasted,” politologist Alyaksandr Klaskouski, the father of one of the accused of mass riot, said in an interview to “Belorusski Partizan”.

The conspiracy theory against Alyaksandr Lukashenka fell to pieces, which is demonstrated by changing accusations against Iryna Khalip, Zmitser Bandarenka, Syarhei Martseleu, and Pavel Sevyarynets. New accusations were brought against them on April 4.

On March 30, accusations were changed against Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Alyaksandr Fyaduta, Andrei Dzmitryeu, Syarhei Vaznyak, Anastasia Palazhanka, and Vital Rymasheuski. They are not charged with violating article 342 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (organizing or preparing the actions that breach public order or taking active part in similar actions).

Eight activists were sentenced on accusations of active participation in mass riot. Artsyom Breus and Ivan Haponau were fined, but the remaining six got different terms in prison. Cases against Kvyatkevich, Bulanau, Paznyak, Hrybkou, Kirkevich, and Pratasyenya, accused under part 2 of article 293 of the Criminal Code, have been sent to court.

Only four people are accused of organizing mass riot. They are presidential candidates Mikalai Statkevich, Dzmitry Us and Andrei Sannikov, as well as Alyaksandr Klaskouski junior. The latter is accused under three articles of the Criminal Code: parts 1 and 2 of article 293 (mass riot), article 369 (insulting a representative of the authorities), and article 382 (unauthorized appropriation of the title or power of an official).

Journalist Alyaksandr Klaskouski, the father of one of the accused, speaks about the changes.

“I think the authorities have started a game relating to a clearly political case. The game is beign played to offer a dialogue to the West. Trade in political prisoners is beginning, as analysts and human rights activists forecasted.

Moscow takes the authorities by throat by making secret ultimatums. Admitting that the case was just making a mountain out of a molehill means losing their face for the Belarusian authorities. They cannot afford it. That’s why they have begun trade. This is usual for the Belarusian authorities. Their politics is based on minimal concessions. They are going to demonstrate the West appearance of objective investigation. This is a test for Europe of how principal and firm position the West will take.

But even this trade gives a chance to lighten the fate of political prisoners. Some guilty verdicts have already been delivered. Some demonstrators, my son among them, have already been brought final accusations. What are the authorities going to do in this situation? There was one demonstration, but qualifications are different. Was there mass riot?

They authorities themselves confirm the initial opinion of lawyers, human rights activists and analysts: there was no mass riot, the case is political. But they needed to scare people. The current financial and economic imperatives make the authorities to look for a way out and take sober view of the situation: what should they do now?