Mikalai Statkevich: Time runs much faster

The political prisoner writes why he cannot sign a pardon petition.

Mikalai Statkevich writes in a letter to his wife Maryna Adamovich about his cellmate, a person involved in the “death squad” case, and about influence of the economic crisis on prison life, “Belorusski Partizan” reports.

“I've received news about different events since my latest letter of 16.04. I was happy to hear about the release of Andrei and Zmitser. I am happy for them and their families. Send them greetings from me.

But, my dear, sorry, I cannot accept this way to freedom. I cannot betray myself, I cannot humiliate the people, who gathered signatures for me, gave their signatures to propose me as a presidential candidate, voted for me and went to the square on my call,” the political prisoner says.

He writes how the economic situation in the country reflects on the prison life:

“By the way, my cellmate and me celebrated the release of Andrei and Dzima and ate our last halva bar.  The price of halva bars in the prison shop has increased almost 2.5fold since I arrived here. Do they cost  2,400 rubles out of prison?”

Mikalai Statkevich confirmed the information about his cellmate he read in a newspaper, “is true, if it goes about his surname and previous job”, but “he is a religious man and he swore on our icons he did not kill anyone in these cases”.

According to Mikalai Statkevich, it was the main reason why he “chose not to protest against staying in the same cell with him”.

“As for these plays with me, they make the routine more interesting and make time run much faster,” Mikalai Statkevich ends his letter. This quiet optimism worries Maryna Adamovich even more than the previous bad news, but she notes the political prisoner preserves his sense of humour and stamina.