Mikola Statkevich: Prisoner of Conscience

Mikola Statkievich 2006. Photo © Maria Söderberg 

”Authorities consider me dangerous”

2-7-2007

In 2005 Mikola Statkevich, The leader of Social Democratic party, Narodnaya Hramada, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for staging a protest rally. He was a so-called sentence at a correctional labour, in Baranavichy.

About half a year ago Mikola Statkevich was transferred from Baranavichy to the village of Blon, Pukhvichy region. Since that time, says the website www.charter97.org (29/1-07) he hadn’t been granted a leave and not allowed to meet with his sick father living in Baranavichy

This short interview on film was made in June, 4 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4I1URvqVP0

His wife was on a short visit. 

They all sat in flat of Mikola Statkevich´s father.

In an interview made recently by Radio Svaboda (January, 2007) Statkievich said:

“It is possible that they are going to release some political prisoners in order to coax Europe, primarily Germany. It is possible my variant is also being considered. But frankly speaking, I would not like to be used like this. Kazulin is in a more difficult situation now. Let them release him. And I have to serve half a year more, and I do not want to be a pawn I this game.”

Mikola Statkevich planned to hold one of the meetings at Minsk railway station. He was waiting for a suburban electric train to Pukhavichy. However, at the noon on January 29 all people on the railway station were asked to vacate the station for the time of a check. People were told that allegedly a telephone call about mining planting on the station had been received. As a worker of the railway station told later, a mine wasn’t found during the check.

From the interview made by Maria Söderberg.

6.6.2006    © text Maria Söderberg

”I try to educate them and don’t offend anyone. Concerning the militia, I try to understand their situation and they are grateful for that”.

“This is such a unique Belarusian type of punishment, something in between correctional labour and imprisonment.

People used to call it “chemistry” because it was used during Soviet times in order to mobilise a work force for the dangerous chemical industries.

Instead of sending convicts to prisons, the authorities sent them to live and work near those industries.

During the first four months I stayed at the commandant’s facilities,

I had the right to leave only on the way to or from work.

According to the law, I’m not allowed to leave the territory of the city where I’m placed. However, if one behaves well and has family in that city, it is possible to get permission to stay with the family.

My father lives here, who is about 80 years old, and has had cancer surgery. I’m allowed to stay with him on certain conditions, such as not leaving the apartment at night, registering at the militia on a daily basis, and not changing my work place.

They forced me to take a job at a state-run enterprise, though I had some other possibilities. I have a degree in technical sciences, can teach or be a journalist at a local newspaper. But I work as a mechanical engineer at a local service for maintaining home electronics.

After a rather difficult initial period marked with conflicts during which I had to fight for my rights and basic freedoms, a fairly quiet period came.

It did not last long since elections were approaching.

I was taken back to the commandant’s facilities without any explanation, which, by the way, is a violation. I did not leave the room for a month during that spring.

One or two militia officers were constantly present. The reason for this... well, the same why I’m here to begin with: authorities consider me dangerous. They probably have psychological portraits of all leaders of opposition. They fear that something like the Ukrainian “orange” revolution will take place in Belarus, so they have isolated me and some other people who in their opinion could lead this kind of political development.

The elections took place and in the end of March I was again allowed to stay at my father’s.

However, that was not all. As soon as Lukashenka is about to show himself at some public occasion or when some sort of  anxiety starts in Minsk, I am put back in isolation for a couple of days prior to the events. For example, during his inauguration, demonstration in memory of Chernobyl, May-Day demonstration, ceremonies on 9 May and so on.

Another example, on 17-26 June, a military exercise within the framework of the Organisation for Collective Security will take place in Baranavichy. Lukashenka, Putin, leaders of some Central Asian countries are expected. I’m getting ready, too. If Lukashenka comes here, it means that not one or two militia officers will sit here with me but an entire section with machine-guns... Maybe, even a tank will be placed under my window...because there is this unproportional fear of me.

According to the law, if a convict does not commit any breaches after serving a third of a term, his sentence needs to be reviewed.

Representatives of the authorities of this city, all militia, all KGB dream to get rid of me because of all the troubles I have caused them: they need to watch over me, to control who comes to visit me, they are responsible that I won’t run to Minsk to make some revolution there. So they have prepared all papers for the court to send me out but their bosses at the central KGB forbid them to do this. It is against all the laws but pretty much understandable: imagine, how could Lukashenka come out on a square on 3 July , the Independence day, to lay flowers knowing that Statkevich is somewhere in the city?

It’s impossible...that’s the situation. I don’t know what will happen to me but one thing is clear:  these authorities are afraid. They are afraid because they have stolen power at the so called elections. There were not any elections. The majority of those who came to vote did not vote for Lukashenka.

He is not a legitimate president in the eyes of the Belarusian society. This is where his unproportional fear comes from.

I personally see the future rather optimistically. I was impressed to see tens of thousands of people who came out on the election day on 19 March. They were told they would be shot if they came out on the squares and they came out even with this threat. They were ready for a struggle. In the end it turned out so that the authorities have calculated everything right. One person should have been there, a leader who could take the initiative upon himself and try to do something. Someone needs to give this wall a push. Maybe the wall is all rotten and we don’t know that!

In regards to my fellow inmates, I’m nice to them. I try to educate them and don’t offend anyone. Concerning the militia, I try to understand their situation and they are grateful for that.

Again, according to the law, after serving half of a sentence, a convict might be released on probation and if he breaches a law, he is put back in. My turn comes on 29 July. Another chance will be the amnesty in connection to the Independence day on 3 July. Sentences of all convicts with such light articles as mine should be reviewed. So according to the legislation, no later than on 29 July I have to be released since I have not committed any breaches. But again, would it scare Lukashenka? A breach is easy to invent. I don’t want to speculate about something that is not in my power. However, I understand that if I showed signs of breaking down or resigned myself, I could have already been released. But I don’t play such games.

Besides, I know that the social-democrats within our own party and the European coalition headed by me are under a lot of pressure right now. Prosecution of the Malady Front which is a member of our Coalition is under way. I have become a symbolic figure for them. So even for the sake of freedom I cannot pretend that I’ve calmed down, that I’ve resigned my struggle. I continue to work even here. I write and publish articles. The executive bureau of Narodnaja Gramada gathers in this apartment every now and then. We need to be very careful though. Once participants have missed the militia patrol by only 5 minutes. Narodnaja Gramada is a party out of law right now, the same as the Malady Front. One can be convicted to 2 years of imprisonment for being a member of the NG. Regardless people keep working. The structure of the party functioned well during the last elections. They wait for me. So once again, I cannot even pretend that I’ve gotten scared of the regime or resigned ... let the authorities be afraid of me.

I’ve published some articles on election technologies. The last one came out in Nasha Niva before the elections titled “Time of Freedom”. I’ve analysed the strategy for the coming elections. I wrote that the elections are just for show, that they are a farce, nobody was going to count votes. Only one thing was left to do, namely to call people to come out on the square.

I have now prepared another text on election technologies, which is for the coordination bureau of the European Coalition to read. It is an analysis of the last elections and proposals for the future. It is a rather long detailed document but it is needed now.

I also write analytical articles. For example, already after the first weeks of imprisonment I have prepared an article under the title “Main Resource”. It is about a need for the opposition to show readiness to sacrifice for the sake of their ideals and how this affects people, with examples from Ukraine. My articles have an effect on the development of the democratic forces in the society. I know this, I feel this. People do react.

I have also prepared a philosophical essay because I knew how this election campaign was going to end and that people would need support and an explanation. Those people who intuitively understand and who take the risk in the name of freedom – to explain for their families why it was needed. It is called “Ethics of Free People”. I received good responses. Responses have come from very different types of people. They write to me, send me signed books and come to thank me. It is a short essay but I have worked on for half a year. I had a good and easy initial material – my own life.”

© Photo and text Maria Söderberg