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First Presentation of Andrei Sannikov's Book in Minsk

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First Presentation of Andrei Sannikov's Book in Minsk

Presentation of Andrei Sannikov's book "My Story. Belarusian Amerikanka, or Elections under Dictatorship" was held in Minsk.

The edition dedicated to the presidential campaign and the Square was presented in Belarus for the first time.

The presentation was held at the office of the Trade Union of radio-electronic industry (REP) on October 25. Most of people there were active participants of the events of 2010 year. Play writer and publicist Uladzimir Khalip, wife of Sannikov, journalist Iryna Khalip, the head of the REP Fyadynich, cultural specialist Waclaw Areshka, economist Leanid Zlotnikau, a former political prisoner Dzmitry Drozd, film director Volha Mikalaichyk, public and human rights activists, Andrei Sannikov's trustees at the presidential elections in 2010, a correspondent of charter97.org.

Opening the event, an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign Marya Kolas told about the story of the book, and explained why those who had actively participated in that presidential campaign were invited first.

"Here are people who made the Square and those events preceding it possible. People who collected signatures and disseminated information, participated in pickets and street actions, were on the Square and in jails," she told.

The book had a line concerning a certain participant of those events. Photographs made during the presidential campaign and protests against the rigged elections on December 19 were presented on a big screen.

Play writer and journalist Uladzimir Khalip who translated the book in Belarusian shared his first impressions.

"Andrei wrote about his friends. I read and wondered how many good feelings were there, how he managed to find something good in every person and told about it. I guess that feature would have made him good if he had run the country. Many people say that we need economist and business runner as the president. No. President is a HR manager who understands what people are needed in a team. This is how the team forms up where everyone plays his role well. A decent and well-skilled person who can find such people should be the president," Uladzimir Khalip says.

Public activist Inna Mudrachenka reminded of the people who actively participated in the presidential campaign of Andrei Sannikov and passed away over past five years. Viktar Ivashkevich was one of them.

"He was able to inspire and persuade. The campaign started when Andrei Sannikov had already been registered as a presidential candidate. People were handing out leaflets and talking to citizens in Minsk. It was a difficult period. Viktar Ivashkevich found time to visit pickets, show us how to talk to people, how to convince them. Because of these qualities, he attracted many veterans of the Belarusian Popular Front to the Sannikov's team", Inna Mudrachenka recalls.

Regional leaders of the European Belarus Andrei Sharenda and Viktar Boldzin told about how the meeting with Andrei Sannikov in Brest and Mahilyeu ran. According to them, the arrival of the presidential candidate in every regional center became a significant event for residents. Such meetings gathered hundreds of people and were discussed for a long time. Viktar Boldzin also cited examples of protocols from the polling stations, which claimed to be true. The activist showed a documented evidence, which proved that the dictator had had no victory in the first round and had to undergo a second round.

Economist Leanid Zlotnikau was one of the authors of Andrei Sannikov's campaign. In his speech he stressed that it was still urgent that day. According to him, today there are even more reasons for protests than it used to be in 2010.

"Then I believed that people could ignore the Square, because the economy was booming. The highest level of salaries was observed in December 2010. But right after elections it ended up and the decline, which maintains now, has started. The regime comes to its end, because the economic situation is destructing. Changes are about to come. I am sure Andrei Sannikov will play his role as well," Leanid Zlotnikau said.

The leader of REP Henadz Fyadynich explained why he had decided to support the candidacy of the leader of European Belarus.

"The team of Mr. Sannikov was the best one. It included people of different ages and professions. But they were citizens. It took little time for me to make a decision, although I had proposals from other candidates. However, even their representatives agreed that Andrei Sannikov was the most prepared person to a confrontation with the regime. It was evident not only to opposition activists, but the authorities as well", Henadz Fyadynich stresses.

Former political prisoner Dzmitry Drozd shared his impressions of the book.

"This is a sincere story about the Square and things that happened later. I was shocked to read about those tortures many people in our team went through being behind bars. I was also was in jail, but I learned most things when I was released and some from the book. We see a living person, see his emotional upheaval", Dzmitry Drozd says.

Coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign Maksim Vinyarski told how the campaign of solidarity with political prisoners following mass arrests in the Square on December 19 had started.

"Until 2010 we, of course, knew what the solidarity meant and why we had to oppose some our people. But, speaking frankly, only after the Square it became urgent: not only activists, but our friends - people we were responsible for - were behind bars. There were moments, especially in the first quarter of 2011, when it might seem that there was no one who could join a solidarity action. But new people came and the government might realized then that the Square had not failed, it maintained," Maksim Vinyarski said.

Journalist Iryna Khalip reminded of first days which she spent in the KGB prison.

"When the election campaign started I wondered whether he was ready to be put in jail. His answer was positive. But he did not expect that I would be also imprisoned. While being in the Amerikanka (local name of the prison) I realized that that was the tool he would be destroyed with. Our child will be used for blackmailing. I knew that I should support my husband. And how it is possible when we cannot even see each other. The only variant is to laugh hoping that he will hear and can understand that I am fine. And we were laughing at guards, the prison, ourselves. That was the only way to survive there," Iryna Khalip said.

The coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign Jauhen Afnahel reminded about the people who were forced to leave the country after the events of 2010 because of the threat of reprisals. Many of them still cannot return home. He also compared the situation in Belarus five years ago and the current one.

"Today everyone recalled the Square. Andrei Sannikov's book has also much information about it. The Square has become a milestone event, a turning point for the modern history of Belarus. But it is worth remembering that it was the tip of the iceberg, the result of long work of hundreds of people, often routine and inconspicuous one. Today every one of us needs to talk to people, convince them, help them to overcome their fear, and be ready to take responsibility for the future of the country. Either the fate of the country will be decided by other people, like it used to be before, or we will be those who make it on our streets and squares," Jauhen Afnagel stated.

The presentation ended with an informal discussion of the book, as well as the situation in the country and the opposition strategy to act. Everyone got a copy of Andrei Sannikov's book.

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