Mikalai Statkevich: Decent people cannot participate in clownery

The political prisoner does not rule out the possibility of boycotting the “elections”.

Mikalai Statkevich wrote it in a letter to his wife Maryna Adamovich, Radio Svaboda reports.

The political prisoner notes that “democratic forces have failed and will not be able to unite for running in the presidential campaign”. According to Mikalai Statkevich, the democratic forces that propose their candidates “cannot say anything clear about the aim and strategy of their participation”.

He gave his consent to the idea of his colleagues from Narodnaya Hramada party and the European Coalition to form an initiative group to propose him as a presidential candidate.

He noted he understood motives of initiators of the proposal. “Decent people with an active position cannot participate in clear clownery and stay aside from political event. Preserving your moral position is important in the most difficult situations. It means to continue to be a human being. I cannot say no to the people who demonstrated many times they have a decent position in the most difficult conditions. They have the right to make this moral gesture. If the democratic forces reduce their activities only to 'turning the desire of peace into reality', can they be considered to be democratic forces?” Mikalai Statkevich writes.

On June 25, representatives of the parties and organisations that supported the idea of proposing Mikalai Statkevich as a presidential candidate decided to unite their efforts and created a single initiative group. Maryna Adamovich was elected head of the group.

“We consider all variants. The most and the least probable. We are ready to work in any conditions,” the political prisoner's wife said.

She does not rule out the possibility the campaign my help release Mikalai Statkevich and other political prisoners.

“Mikalai does not regard it as a chance for early release. On the contrary, he is ready to again sacrifice himself to show problems with human rights, compliance with laws and problems of the legitimacy of power at least during the latest campaigns. Mikalai does not regard it as a publicity stunt or an opportunity of early release. He made this decision with a clear understanding that it may cost him a lot.”

Mikalai Statkevich is the only candidate in the 2010 presidential elections who is still in prison. He was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment in May 2011 for organising mass disorders on the election day. International human rights organisations recognised Statkevich as a political prisoner.

The politician began to serve his term in correctional facility No.17 in Shklou, but was transferred to stricter prison No.4 in Mahilou for three years in January 2012. Statkevich returned to Shklou on 12 January 2015 and got two warnings for violating prison rules in the first two days. The politician may face a new prison term.

Mikalai Statkevich was tried in correctional facility No.17 on May 4. He was sent to a prison for the rest of his term (1 year, 7 months and 15 days). The politician was transferred to prison No.4 in Mahilou on May 6.