“They need to know that it's not all in vain”: the wives of convicted human rights defenders comment on the verdict
Today, the verdict was pronounced in the high-profile case of the Viasna human rights group. We asked Natallia Pinchuk, Nina Labkovich, and Alina Stefanovic, the wives of political prisoners convicted today, to comment on the court’s decision.
“It only seems that the sentence was commuted”
- Natallia Pinchuk at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for Ales Bialiatski in Oslo on December 10, 2022. Photo: Markus Schreiber.
Natallia Pinchuk, wife of Ales Bialiatski who received 10 years in jail, stressed the political motive behind the criminal investigation into human rights group:
“Whether we’re talking Ales, Valiantsin, or Uladzimir, the sentence is obviously very harsh. It's terrible when you think about what they were tried for. Despite all those 284 volumes of the criminal file and quite a long trial, we see that the prosecutor did not and could not provide any evidentiary basis whatsoever. Obviously, it was human rights defenders who were targeted by this trial, and it was for their human rights activities that they were tried.
The fact that Ales was given 10 years instead of 12 is one of the telling moments: it seems that the sentence was commuted, but it's not commuted at all. Again, those are very long sentences. Who are they and what were they sentenced for? For killing people, for causing some significant harm? No, none of the arguments that were made in court even had any probative value for the court to convict them under the trumped-up charges.”
“A day in jail is minus a day of life with your family and kids”
- Nina and Uladzimir Labkovich with their eldest daughter Adelia.
Nina Labkovich, the wife of Uladzimir Labkovich who was sentenced to seven years in prison, pointed out that political prisoners greatly need our solidarity and support:
“Of course, we didn't hope for a miracle, but this ‘gift’ of two years means a lot to us. But still, it hurts a lot. A lot. It's impossible to accept.After all, a day in jail is minus a day of life with your family and kids.
In times of total injustice, you can only endure it through love, the love of family, relatives, and many decent people. Out there [in jail], they need our support, they need to know that someone is waiting for them and that it's not all in vain.”
“Accountability will come as well”
- Alina Stefanovich with children at a solidarity rally in Georgia in 2021.
Alina Stefanovic, Valiantsin Stefanovic's wife, quoted her husband's last words in court and noted that all those guilty of political persecution of Belarusians would be punished:
“The spring will inevitably come, Valiantsin said in his last words. And I will add that accountability will come as well. Heaven sees everything, and everyone will get what he has strived for and what he deserves.”
