Nyaklyaeu in danger of imprisonment

Poet Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, a former presidential candidate, was suddenly summoned to the General Prosecutor’s Office on July 26. He was told there he may be arrested.

The politicians gave an interview to “Narodnaya Volya” newspaper.

Why have you been summoned so urgently?

On my request and on the request of my lawyers, the prosecutor’s office of Minsk investigates, or to be more precise pretends to investigate, the case over a violent attack on presidential candidate Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu on December 19, 2010. Only after seven months of investigation, I was told to undergo a medical forensic examination to record the traces of beating, it’s not even a joke, it’s mockery. It is a mockery of me and the common sense. I supposed the General Prosecutor’s Office would interfere with this matter, because I filed complaints there when I was in jail. As it turned out, this agency does not care about this, but is interested in my trips outside Minsk, though it’s their business.

What do you mean?

I mean my trips are a concern of the agencies (as says the chilling paper I was given) responsible for “carrying out control over my behavior”. In other words, the General Prosecutor’s Office would not deal with this matter without an order.

Do they mean your abroad trips?

Yes. My visits to Poland and Lithuania. And to Russia too.

They threaten to hold me in custody again for a paradoxical reason. The paradox is that I left the country for the meetings to discuss plans to help Belarus to tackle the crisis. Different help, including financial aid. Of course, on a condition of release of political prisoners. The European Union, the US and Russia hope the rational pragmatic views will finally overrule emotions of our authorities. Everyone expects this, but as I was told in the prosecutor’s office, it’s in vain: the number of political prisoners may even increase.

Because of you?

The General Prosecutor’s Office says: yes, because of me. As it usually happens, when prosecutor’s office warns, the authorities throw into prison. In any case, I’ve already seen that. The authorities need the outrage to be performed not but their hands. They need the outrage to be performed in accordance with an article, a paragraph, a clause. They create a semblance of legitimacy.

Will you obey this semblance? Reality is prison.

Yes, it is reality. The reality not only for thirty political prisoners. It is the reality for almost 33,000 Belarusians. Moreover, it is the reality for 10 million people, because the whole Belarus is prison now. All people, including prosecutors and judges, are in prison now. And prison guards are in prison too.

It must not be so. And it will not be so. I will do everything I can to stop it.

If we had the law, I would not have been found guilty. But when it comes to the semblance of law, you can always be found guilty, even if you are innocent. So…

But your unauthorized trips are not the only grounds for prosecution. You take part in unauthorized protest rallies. You have not given up politics and have not turned to pure poetry, as you were recommended. Aren’t you afraid?

I cannot say I have not fear at all. I am afraid a bit, because I remember what happened and know what can happen… But I also now another thing: people live not to be afraid of.