Mikalai Autukhovich waits for meeting with mother and has no hopes for amnesty

Leanid Haravy, an activist of the Movement “For Freedom” from Haradok, maintains correspondence with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich. Having received a letter from Hrodna prison, he decided to tell readers of “Viasna”s site about the things the prisoner writes, what are his thoughts and hopes.

At the beginning of the letter Mikalai Autukhovich says that soon he must have a short-term meeting with his mother. “We haven’t seen each other for more than 40 months already. That’s why at present my life is concentrated only on this meeting. All the rest is trifles.” In his letter Mr. Autukhovich also expresses his opinion concerning the authorities’ play on the possible amnesty for political prisoner. First of all, such amnesty is impossible as “violations” have been invented for all of them. Secondly, the talks of amnesty are nonsense, used specially for Europeans. “One shouldn’t trust a man who has deceived a hundred times already, who doesn’t keep his promise,” writes the political prisoner. Thirdly, Europeans must understand there and not make the same mistake again. According to Mikalai Autukhovich, conclusions from this situation should be made by every person who wants to make dreams true. He understood it back in 2004 and therefore is not released now,” said Leanid Haravy.

The Haradok activist considers it as necessary that human rights defenders and independent media should regularly remind the Belarusian people about those who are kept behind bars because of their political position. That’s why Leanid Haravy decided to tell about the things Mikalai Autukhovich writes in his letters. One of the last letters, received by him, contains the following words: “The time is running. Freedom for me and everyone comes nearer and nearer. Everything ends someday! Dictators are not eternal either!... Long live Belarus!”