Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk: "It was difficult both psychologically and physically to withstand all these tortures"
On February 10, former political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, who left Belarus after her release from penal colony No. 24, spoke about the conditions of imprisonment, about the repression against her and other women political prisoners, and answered questions from journalists. The meeting with media representatives took place in Vilnius, at the Kropka creative space.
Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Campaign Coordinator of European Belarus, was imprisoned for more than four years. Many times she was sent to punishment cells, subjected to punitive psychiatry, and had her term extended three times through Article 411 of the Criminal Code (malicious disobedience to the requirements of the correctional institution administration).
"A political prisoner embodies the entire Belarusian people"
Palina first of all drew attention to the situation of the women political prisoners who served their sentences with her in the penal colony in Zarečča.
"There are a lot of political prisoners in Belarus — there are thousands and thousands of them. We don't know all of them. Many are afraid to talk about their persecution; their relatives are intimidated. I believe that today a political prisoner embodies the entire Belarusian people who have been held hostage by this terrorist regime. What I went through is utmost terror, torture, and humiliation of people. Today I want to talk about the terrible conditions political prisoners Volha Mayorova, Hanna Hnauk, Viktoryia Kulsha are subjected to in the penal colony:
"Viktoryia Kulsha is a person before whom even I bow my head. She does not give up, despite her severely deteriorating health. She has been on hunger strikes for months and for this she ended up in a punitive cell, and there she went on with the strike. Ana refused both water and any drinks. She was slitting her wrists. She also went on hunger strikes in a cell-type space (PKT) and refused the help of doctors. She said, 'I will go to the end. I will not give up.' She has been opposing terror for four years now. Her kidneys are failing, and she has other diseases, but she continues to hold on. She may become the first woman who will not withstand such conditions.
The condition of Volha Mayorova is also severe. The regime has blocked all opportunities for her to get at least some things from the outside. Parcels do not reach her, as Volha is considered a 'terrorist'; she cannot wash with soap and shampoo, as she does not have them. Volha speaks Belarusian in the penal colony and gets ridiculed and harassed for her language.
Alena Hnauk is an elderly person and it is very difficult for her. She has illnesses and has no contact with her family, as all three women do, by the way.
I know that Viktoryia and Alena have been transferred from a punitive isolation cell (SHIZO) to PKT, which means that they are going to be tried under Article 411.
Here, a person is tortured, and tortured, and at some point asked to write a petition for pardon. If a person does not agree, they continue to torture them further. Then they offer the pardon again. And you might not get out of here. 'Your children will grow up without you,' they told me. And the final stage, if you eventually agree to their interview in order to discredit and break you completely, is the signing of a paper on confidential cooperation.
Palina also signed such a paper. She made such a tactical move to be released.
At her trial, activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk reported beatings and pressure in the penal colony
270 days in punishment cells
Palina says that psychological tortures were the most difficult ones. Especially in SHIZO.
"When you have been in SHIZO or PKT for months, no information reaches you. The lawyers are intimidated and can't tell you anything. They just stare at the floor in silence. But there is enough misinformation. Every time we are told that everyone has forgotten about you, no one gives a damn about you.
Back in penal colony No. 24, a 'magnificent' renovation of SHIZO took place, as a result of which wooden floors were replaced with stone ones, large windows were replaced with small ones, beds now weigh 70 kilograms and women have to constantly lift them [to attach to the wall during the day according to regulations — translator's note].
SHIZO in penal colony No. 24 is a bare room with absolutely nothing in it. They give you a uniform with SHIZO written on it. That uniform may be small: it doesn't fasten on you, but no one cares. And that's what you wear for a month, and you sleep in it, and you can't change your clothes.
In SHIZO hot water appears for 20 minutes a day (if it does), and if not, wash yourself with cold water. If you don't want to, don't wash at all. All physiological needs have to be attended to under surveillance cameras. It is difficult because of the lack of fresh air and sun.
Sometimes, the thought arose that we would not stand it. Sometimes severe depression appeared, especially after the refusal of pardon," Palina said.
"Katsiaryna was beaten on the head and punched in the stomach"
Answering questions from journalists, Palina spoke about the meeting with journalist Katsiaryna Bakhvalava and how the latter was beaten in the penal colony.
That was back in February 2022:
"She asked for a doctor. She said she was severely beaten: 'I was beaten on the head, call a doctor, call a doctor...' It is clear that no one called a doctor for her. On February 10, she was taken to a pre-trial detention center in Homieĺ. I managed to talk to a girl who described me the situation: when Katsia was called and informed that another case had been initiated against her, she simply broke down. I do not know what she was doing there, but this girl said that she had been beaten. She was beaten by four people: beaten on the head and punched in the stomach."
Palina Sharenda also touched upon the topic of punitive psychiatry, which she had to face during her imprisonment:
"If you are disloyal to the regime, it is treated as a mental aberration. And if you call yourself a political prisoner, it is a 'paranoid personality disorder.'"
Political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk sentenced to an additional year and one day of imprisonment
