#FreeViasna: Weekly news digest on Viasna’s imprisoned human rights defenders
On September 14, #FreeViasna campaign of solidarity with the imprisoned Viasna members was launched. Here’s the latest news about them.
One year ago, the crackdown on Belarusian civil society has started. On the morning of February 16, 2021, members of the Human Rights Center Viasna, the Belarusian Association of Journalists, and other civil activists were searched in a criminal case under Article 342 of the Criminal Code. At least 40 searches took place across the country that day. Equipment, documents, and other media were confiscated from human rights defenders and journalists.
For over seven months Ales Bialiatski, chairman of the Human Rights Center Viasna, his deputy Valiantsin Stefanovich and lawyer of the organization Uladzimir Labkovich have been behind bars for their human rights activities.
BAJ, Viasna under attack
Valiantsin Stefanovich: “We need to value time, value every minute you can spend with your loved ones”
In his recent letters, Valiantsin Stefanovich wrote about his mood and what helps him to keep his spirit in prison.
“In general, I'm fine, and my mood is more or less ok. Although, of course, sometimes I am overwhelmed by despair, and don’t believe in miracles, in an early release. […] At such times, my heart is filled with terror and great sadness, I feel frustrated and discouraged.
But then I chase these thoughts away and remember the prisoners of the Soviet and Stalinist concentration camps. […] Only a great thirst for life gave them the strength to survive and finally be set free. […] The main thing is not to lose that very thirst for life. To seek new sensations, to be open to new and unusual things.”
The human rights defender also said that he had subscribed for three months to the newspaper Belarusians and Market in order “to read independent information about what is not written or not talked about in the official media”.
Uladzimir Labkovich: “The most unbearable thing is the inability to see my family, to hug my children”
Viasna human rights defender Uladzimir Labkovich sent a message dated February 13. He almost does not sleep because of frequent headaches. He says he has been writing letters to his wife every day since his detention and will soon continue to write a fairy tale for his children:
“I was very happy to receive a kind postcard from you, as well as stickers and beautiful sheets. I will use them to continue writing a fairy tale for the kids. […] Sometimes I even feel despair and hopelessness. Especially when there are no letters because they are lost and do not reach me. It’s very bad then.
[...]
Soon it will be spring. It's so nice to see the blue sky through the wire. Soon everything will be green. It's been so long since I've seen trees, flowers, different colors in general. It's incredibly lacking.”
There was no news from Viasna chairman Ales Bialiatski last week.
Marfa Rabkova: "Receiving a national award is a great achievement for me"
Marfa Rabkova, the coordinator of the Viasna Volunteer Service, who has been behind bars for 17 months, wrote in he letter about her feelings on receiving the national Human Rights Defender of the Year award and described why she volunteered at the animal shelter:
“Receiving the National Award is a great achievement for me. When I found out about I felt so inspirited, I even shed a few tears of joy. [...]
For me, the animal shelter used to be a psychological release. When you help animals, there is a deeper awareness of being. [...] It can be more difficult with people, but in any case, we should help without expecting gratitude and praise. After all, in doing so, we save ourselves and benefit ourselves. We must be strong and patient, our Spring is very close!”
There was no news from Viasna volunteer Andrei Čapiuk last week.
It became known that Tatsiana Lasitsa was transferred to penal colony No. 4 on February 4.
There was no news from the head of the Homieĺ branch of Viasna Leanid Sudalenka last week.
