To crush political prisoners

Under such a title an article on the frost page of today’s popular weekly “Gazeta Wyborcza” has been published.

“The authorities are trying to destruct physically and morally those who are imprisoned,” the author of the article Andrei Poczobut writes and tells the story of Mikaali Autukhovich, who had to slash wrists in order to save face, Radio Svaboda informs.

The newspaper explains to Polish readers the system of strict hierarchy which exists in Belarusian prisons, and tells about attempts of the authorities to make political prisoners downcasts, the lowest part of it.

“Gazeta Wyborcza” offers opinions of Belarusian experts, according to which the aim of such measures is to make political prisoners “repent publically and seek pardon from Lukashenka”.

Meanwhile, on the second page of the same newspaper a letter of Belarusian Ambassador to Poland Viktar Hajsynak to the editor-in-chief Adam Michnik is published. The Belarusian diplomat expresses concern that “new articles in “Gazeta Wyborcza” have an aim to create a negative image of our country and its leadership.”

The answer of Michnik follows. He expresses surprise that “the high-ranking official of Lukashenka’s administration is interested in the articles of the newspaper dedicated to human rights violations, civil freedoms and human dignity.”

“We express our full solidarity with the courageous citizens of the Belarusian state. We shall defend all prisoners of conscience, and give word to those who are silenced, and in such a way to promote creation of mutual understanding atmosphere between the Polish and Belarusian nations. We shall not keep silent in the times when the establishment of Alyaksandr Lukashenka injures feelings and insults honour of the Belarusian citizens. Please accept words of respect to the Belarusian nation, and words of admiration for the imprisoned defenders of the Belarusian freedom,” Adam Michnik has written in the answer to the Belarusian Ambassador.