Political prisoners are swapped

Mikalai Dziadok has been transferred from the Mahiliou colony to the Shklou colony, Artsiom Prakapenka – vice-versa. Relatives are going for a long-term meeting with Aliaksandr Frantskevich. Ihar Alinevich makes inventions at the Navapolatsk colony.

Mikalai Dziadok’s wife Valeryia Khotsina stated that on 16 April they were to have had a short-term meeting. “He didn’t phone for 10 days, though he promised to do it. At the colony we were told that he was transferred to the Shklou colony on 6 April. However, they didn’t explain the reasons – just said that we would receive an official paper with explanations. Then we phoned to Shklou, and were told that Dziadok had been really taken there, but they didn’t know the reasons, being the accepting side. Let’s wait till he comes out of the quarantine. We don’t know what the new schedule of meetings will be,” said Valeryia.

Artsiom Prakapenka’s mother Viyaleta says that her son was transferred from Shklou colony #17 to Mahiliou colony #15 several days ago.

“Nobody tells the reason. He was photographed and the logistics manager said he would be transferred to colony #15. The reasons are unknown. He says about some exchange of prisoners. He again got to the quarantine. I asked how long he will be kept there – there is no information either, may be a week, or a month.”

Several days before the transfer the parents had a short-term meeting with Artsiom. His mother is very concerned about his health and nutrition, as Artsiom is a vegetarian: “We brought him a large parcel. Nobody weighed fruit and vegetables in colony #17. We brought him cabbage, beetroots, carrots and apples. He had to leave it in the colony, as he has no opportunity to take it with him,” says the mother.

“He writes that everything is alright. There is no pressurization. I am going for a three-day meeting with him on 1-3 May. The only problem is that I was allowed to pass only 5-kilogram food parcel. Now I am trying to reach the administration to receive permission for passing a larger parcel. Earlier one could pass 30 kilos of foodstuffs, now – only 5, without any explanations,” says the woman.

Ihar Alinevich was engaged in the creation of the Belarusian-Russian satellite before the imprisonment. According to his mother Valiantsina, in the Navapolatsk colony he tries not to lose his skills of engineer of digital appliances: “Friends send him technical magazines. He takes various technical ideas from them, wants to develop his knowledge. Recently he has surprised us by sending us description of a device which he had invented. He even made a drawing.”