Nikolay Zboroshenko: “Belarusian Regime Fears Everything” :: Charter'97 :: News

An activist of Russian youth movement Oborona Nikolay Zboroshenko has been released today from Minsk remand prison. In an hour after release Nikolay Zboroshenko was deported from Belarus. The Russian citizen was denied entry to Belarus for 5 years. “I am extremely surprised. I thought that I would be prohibited to enter Belarus for a year. I cannot think of explanations of that. It must be fear,” an activist of Oborona told in an interview to the Charter’97 before deportation.

Nikolay Zboroshenko told that in the detention center he was on hunger strike protesting against illegal verdict. However, after a week he felt unwell and stopped the protest for fear of hospitalization.

He called conditions in the detention center “tolerable”. From 6 to 9 persons were with him in the ward. “After all, it is not a health resort,” Nikolay said. However, Nikolay and his cellmates were given smaller bread helpings several times.

Oborona activist was receiving food parcels from Belarusian colleagues. He expressed gratitude to human rights center Viasna.

The Russian Embassy in Belarus hadn’t offered almost any held to the Russian citizen. As said by Zboroshenko, Russian consul Malyshev visited him only once.

Speaking of the protest held on July 22 near the Russian Embassy, Nikolay Zboroshenko said:

“We wanted to support the Belarusians. Oborona cooperates with Belarusian democratic forces. We believe that Russia must stop supporting the Belarusain dictatorship, and wish Belarus freedom and independence”.

As reported, two activists of the Russian youth movement Oborona Nikolay Zboroshenko and Ekaterina Vinokurova were sentenced to 15 and 10 days of arrest by the court of Tsentralny district of Minsk. On July 22 young people took part in a protest in front of the Russian Embassy with a demand to stop Russia’s support of Lukashenka’s regime.

They called upon Russia to stop supporting Lukashenka’s dictatorship. After drawing up reports on administrative violation, N. Zboroshenko and E. Vinokurova were given summons to the court. Then they were released and went to Russia. In a few days they independently returned to Minsk to stand the trial.