Vasily Parfyankou released
13:21, — Politics
A political prisoner has been released from the detention facility in Baranavichy.
Vasily Parfyankou spoke to charter97.org website just after the release.
The opposition activist says his arrest and sentence were politically motivated.
“I think the arrest was revenge of the authorities for my political activity. They thought I would stop visiting opposition rallies and pickets after the release from prison, when I served sentence for participation in post-election protests. It didn't happen and they threw me behind bars again under pretence of violation of the surveillance rules,” the political prisoner said.
Vasily Parfyankou is not sure he will not face problems in his political activity.
“Firstly, I am still under police surveillance. I may be thrown into jail for any violations. Secondly, no one is safe from arrest in our country. Any opponent of the regime can be thrown behind bars at any moment,” he noted.
Vasily Parfyankou is confident the Western countries should increase pressure on the dictator to release other political prisoners and stop repression.
“Political prisoners will remain in jails as long as the regime counts on a dialogue with Europe. Negotiations and trade with the dictator are inadmissible. We need real sanctions and more pressure,” Vasily Parfyankou noted.
The political prisoner says he received hundreds of letters from Belarus and foreign countries and thanked for support and solidarity. He says he will continue his political activity.
Vasily Parfyankou was the first person sentenced for the post-election protests on December 19, 2010. He was given 4 years in a medium security penal colony in February 2011. Parfyankou was pardoned by Lukashenka in August.
He was put under police surveillance in January 2012. Minsk's Pershamaiski district department of the Investigation Committee initiated a new criminal case against him for violations of the surveillance rules.
Parfyankou was accused of violating the rules of the preventive surveillance – absence at home without good reason two times, for which he received two administrative sanctions during the year. Parfyankou said he had gone out for some minutes to buy food in a shop.
On May 29, Minsk's Pershamaiski district court found Parfyankou guilty of violating surveillance rules and sentenced him to 6 months in custody. The Minsk city court upheld the decision on July 24.
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