Viktar Kantsavenka asks for political asylum in Poland
Resident of Rechytsa
Viktar Kantsavenka, an activist of the electoral team of Mikalai Statkevich during
the 2010 presidential election, has filed documents for receiving political
asylum in Poland.
According to the BelaPAN information
agency, at present he is in the refugee camp Dembak,
where he can spend about a year waiting. “They have already talked to me, and
gave me a six-month visa. I am treated well in the camp. The majority of its
inhabitants are Chechens, there also some Belarusians, but there are few of
them. I don’t intend to return to Belarus – it won’t do any good if I
am imprisoned as well,’ comments Mr. Kantsavenka.
The activist fled Belarus
soon after the events of 19 December. According to him, he was watched, that’s
why he decided to leave the country. He went to Russia,
and then – to Ukraine,
where he asked for political asylum. However, he decided to move to Poland without
waiting there. “I lived there at one of my acquaintances, and the local police
were looking for me there. That’s why I decided to move further. Though I had
some problems with my passport, the Polish authorities treated me loyally and
issued a visa to me,” explains Viktar Kantsavenka.
