Andrei Chapyuk in his final statement: "Truth, fairness, and justice are more powerful than the thuggish methods employed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB"
On 6 September, the Minsk City Court delivered its judgment in relation to ten political prisoners at once, with Marfa Rabkova, the coordinator of the Viasna Volunteer Service, being sentenced to 15 years in a penal colony, volunteer Andrei Chapyuk — to 6 years in a penal colony, anarchist activists Aliaksandr Frantskevich — to 17 years in a penal colony, Akikhiro Hayeuski-Hanada — to 16 years in a penal colony, Aliaksei Halauko — to 12 years in a penal colony, Aliaksandr Kazlianka, Pavel Shpetny, Mikita Dranets — to 6 years in a penal colony each, Andrei Marach, Danila Chul — to 5 years in a penal colony each. The trial that was held behind closed doors lasted for four and a half months, with a total of 70 hearings covering 158 volumes of the criminal case. The terms of imprisonment given by Judge Siarhei Khrypach were precisely the terms requested by Prosecutor Raman Bizyuk. Human rights activists received the text of the speech that the 26-year-old political prisoner Andrei Chapyuk had prepared for his final statement.
"In my final statement, I would like to express my deep shame for the Belarusian judicial system and the investigative bodies; they are sure to know how to create humour of high quality! Throughout the trial, the work being done by the prosecutor and the investigators often made us laugh. The prosecutor's show at the debates (which I suspect was staged by GUBAZ (Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption)) was the highlight of the courtroom proceedings. Humour of excellent quality! I cannot imagine who, in their right mind, could take this trial in general and the charges in particular seriously. The political motivation of the case is evident from the number and the essence of the charges.
I believe that everyone will soon be held accountable to society for their actions and choices. My words are not meant as a threat. It is the reality of life that truth, fairness, and justice are more powerful than the thuggish methods employed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB. People are not afraid to stand up for their rights! After all, laws and procedural rules can be interpreted at one’s whim. Or they can be ignored altogether, with the 'high' court evaluating anything arbitrarily. I and the other defendants experienced both physical and psychological violence during our detention. The evidence supporting my claims is in the case materials. Nowadays, such treatment has become commonplace for politically motivated cases.
During the nearly two years that I have spent in pre-trial detention, I have become convinced that it is difficult for the investigative bodies to break the will of a Belarusian without placing them in an overcrowded isolation cell, without having them on special-watch record, without including them in the list of individuals allegedly involved in terrorist activities, and without various forms of violence applied at every stage of the repressive machine's work. Belarusians are losing their health as a result of these actions, and Belarusian families are being destroyed. Why should a state entity vested with power and authority engage in such actions? To answer this question, everyone ought to use their own judgment.
In conclusion, I want to thank all Belarusians, especially those who have helped people in trouble during these turbulent times. Belarus will be free!"
