Aliaksandr Frantskevich: We need to be able to rebuff brazen authorities

Pressure on the authorities and solidarity of the Belarusians can help release political prisoners.

The situation of political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok escalates. It became known that he had injured himself, protesting against torture. He is in a punishment cell now.

Former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich told charter97.org that Belarusian society should unite to defend all victims of the dictatorship. Only in this case the political prisoners will be released.

– What can be done to free Mikalai Dziadok as soon as possible? It is obvious that his further staying in the correctional facility in Horki threatens his life.

– I think only pressure from inside the country can release our political prisoners. The authorities will release all opponents who are held as captives only when activity inside the country makes the authorities respect their opponents.

Unfortunately, the people of Belarus who stay far from politics do not show solidarity with political prisoners and other victims of the state, for example, those evicted from homes or ordinary guy Aliaksandr Akulich, who died in the detention centre in Svetlahorsk due to correctional officers.

Civil society makes concessions one by one. Political prisoners are represented as hooligans while new reasons for cooperation with the regime are being looked for. The authorities will continue putting pressure on political prisoners unless the situation is changed and participants of the political process begin to use more direct and effective solidarity instruments.

On May 27, 2011, judge Zhanna Khvainitskaya from Minsk's Zavadski district court sentenced Aliaksandr Frantskevich to 3 years of imprisonment in the so called anarchist case. He, Mikalai Dziadok and Ihar Alinevich were accused of organising a rally near the Ministry of Defence, attacking the Shangri La casino and the detention facility in Akrestsin Street, as well as setting the door of a Belarusbank office on fire.

Aliaksandr Frantskevich was released in September 2013.