19 March 2024, Tuesday, 10:42
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Dialogue of prison chief and inmates

152
Dialogue of prison chief and inmates

Amid low oil prices.

Lukashenka's press conference on January 29 lasted for more than 7 hours. Propaganda called this boring event an “open dialogue”, though it was held as always. The only exception was that some participants of the show were allowed to speak more than usual. As a result, instead of concrete hard questions, we heard speeches about everything except for real problems.

Only Radio Svaboda's journalist Valer Kalinouski asked Lukashenka about political prisoners. No one recalled kidnapped and killed opposition members, no one mentioned fraudulent elections, no one said a word about blocked independent websites.

I do not rebuke my colleagues. Lukashenka's press conference demonstrated clearly how high the level of fear in our society is.

The “open dialogue” resembles a conversation between the prison chief and inmates:

– Any complains?

– No complains, boss!

I remember well that a prosecutor visited me in the KGB jail every month. He stopped near the door and asked if I had any complaints. I once said I didn't receive letters. Prison officer sforbade all prisoners in our cell to lie on the bed during the daytime. We had to stand or sit all day, suffering from back pain.

The same is here: every complaint would be regarded as an act of diversion and immediately punished.

Lukashenka felt more than comfortable during the 7-hour marathon. He didn't get tired and his voice didn't become hoarse. I remember reading in Daily Mail that Hitler took Pervitin, which is better known today as methamphetamine, to feel better.

However, the show was prepared for the West rather than for the domestic market. As usual, he got carried away. We heard that:

– Crimea is not Ukrainian lands;

– Ukraine lost its territories due to its nationalistic policy;

– He doesn't rush to the Eastern Partnership;

– The West cannot make him kneel;

– No reforms in Belarus are expected;

– Belarusians who went to foreign exchange offices are to be blamed for the 40% devaluation;

– Russia is the main political and military ally;

– He doesn't plan to release the political prisoners.

This is the modest result of 7 hours of talking. The rest is drivel, demagogy and rubbish. He forgot just one thing: experts forecast that oil prices will remain low for several years. As known, the small dictatorship will live as long as the big dictatorship has money.

Natallia Radzina, charter97.org editor-in-chief

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