Zmitser Kaspiarovich Granted Parole

Source: www.charter97.org

On 28 April the activist of the Belarusian People’s Front Zmitser Kaspiarovich was released from the prison in Zhodzina. ‘Repressions are simply strengthening our spirit; they make people stronger. What do three months mean compared with years spent in prison by Polish solidarity leaders?’ told Zmitser Kaspiarovich after being released from Zhodzina prison.

Mr Kaspiarovich was arrested during an attempt to remove the official red and green flag and replace it with a white-red-white flag. But he was presented a charge relating violation of part 1 of article #339 (hooliganism), and faces a sentence of up to 3 years. On 27 February Minsk Maskouski Borough Court sentenced him to five months of arrest.

As said by the youth leader, early release is a common occurrence now, as detention facilities are overcrowded. Besides, Kaspiarovich said that he had not been disobeying the order, and the administration had no complaints about him.

According to Zmitser, the most difficult thing for the all period spent behind bars, was his stay in Minsk prison in Valadarski Street, as 17 persons were kept in a rather small cell there. It was damp and cold in the prison, and he was ill for a long time. There weren’t enough places to sleep for everybody.

’The conditions in Zhodzina detention facility were better,’ the former prisoner of conscience told. ‘The most tiring thing was to do nothing the whole day, but I played chess, wrote letters home. However, as it turned out, not all of them were delivered. We had walks. We were not allowed to sleep in the daytime. I fell asleep sitting…’

Kaspiarovich was allowed to meet with his mother two times for three months. ‘But they searched our things every day, and two times a month they searched the cell, and made us undress completely,’ Zmitser said. He was not allowed to vote in the presidential elections. According to the law, only those can vote for whom the sentence is passed and.

’I knew about the events in Belarus after the presidential election. 200 persons detained during disband of the tent camp were placed to Zhodzina prison. Rumors spread quickly. I was happy that our people had showed such resistance. I wanted to be with people on the square very much, to stand shoulder to shoulder with them. I am ready to join the struggle today. Repressions are simply strengthening our spirit; they make people stronger. What do three months mean in comparison to the years the leaders of Polish Solidarity spent in jail?’ Zmitser Kaspiarovich said.