FOUR PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE :: Charter'97 :: News

Four prisoners of conscience, representing the Belarusian opposition – Andrei Sannikov, Ludmila Gryaznova, Dmitry Bondarenko and Leonid Malakhov – went to jail for demanding from the authorities the reduction of public utilities tariffs, rise of wages, pensions and stipends, improvement of entrepreneurial conditions. Harsh sentences against the organizers of the social action – 15 days of arrest to each – testify to the fact that the regime will never tolerate not only freedom and democracy but even normal, worthy life. We could also see their panicking fear before a massive, non-violent protest. Judges of the Sovietsky court of Minsk Oksana Relyaeva and Ruslan Kazadoev passed accusatory verdicts (how are these two looking their relatives in the eyes, knowing that they sentence people, who demand to reduce huge public utilities tariffs) against Gryaznova, Sannikov, Bondarenko and Malakhov, who are considered prisoners of conscience now. They were endowed with this status by the human rights watchdog “Amnesty International”.

Today we interviewed right in the courtroom the convicted organizers of the People’s March:

Andrei Sannikov:

- We were convicted for demanding better life for the people. What can we say to that? We are happy that our people took to the streets, bringing newcomers with them. It is crucial that we managed to escape provocations and the action was absolutely peaceful.

Dmitry Bondarenko:

- I’m satisfied by the action. We had successful joint campaign, great entrepreneurial strike, attracting new social layers to the protest actions and enhanced people’s activism. Even the law-enforcers were grateful to us for protesting, as far as they got to pay 39thsd rubles a month for a single-room apartment in a dorm. As concerns today’s verdict, I can tell you one thing: they fear and respect us. The regime wants to lock us behind bars ahead of the Freedom Day festivities. Let me thank all Belarusians and foreigners who expressed solidarity with the People’s March. Their support was very important to us. Together we will overcome!

Ludmila Gryaznova:

- Ahead of the action we coordinated our activities with the representative of the deputies’ group “Respublika” Vladimir Parfenovich and Valery Frolov and it seemed to me that these are courageous men, who will act more decisively. However, I caught a glimpse of only Frolov there, but he disappeared from view quite soon. Even today, when the People’s March organizers received 15 days of arrests, none of these two showed up in court to manifest their solidarity with us. I wonder how their words and deeds be so different. I feel that press displays to much respect for these “deputies”, who refused to be there with their nation at the most crucial time.
As deputy of the 13th Supreme Soviet, I can tell you that we acted with greater solidarity and 70 of us said “no” to the president, while I see nobody in this parliament, who could be followed and trusted.

Leonid Malakhov:

Something that happened in court is a sure order from above. We realized that they had already passed their verdicts beforehand. Judge Oksana Relyaeva simply read out the already prepared sentences. However, we can’t be intimidated by arrests. In fact, we only get more committed to the truth, we are fighting for. 1,5 hours of freedom in central city cost more than these 15 days of jail. I’m convinced that soon these 12,5 hours will grow into the new life of freedom.