Andrei Haidukou can’t receive medicines and letters in prison

Andrei Haidukou, resident of Navapolatsk, has been in the KGB detention center since November 8, facing criminal charges "for treason to the state through intelligence activities." Andrei’s parents and friends cannot believe that he could be involved in spying, his detention in Vitsebsk being a total surprise to them. Journalists and human rights defenders have not yet been able to get any explanations on the case, as even the prisoner’s letters can’t leave the jail.

The lawyer, who met with Andrei Haidukou during an interrogation on November 22, told his mother that he had written three letters home:

"Three letters, and none has not reached us! We also wrote to him, sent two letters and a postcard. Andrei received only the postcard. We did not write anything that can be forbidden, but the messages can’t reach him for some reason. And they did not allow receiving all the medicines, they said they needed a medical confirmation that they were really needed. Andrei has a bad heart, he was not even taken into the army because of the disease. And I had the medical certificates, but now there are only copies – we gave the originals to the lawyer who prepared the application for change of pre-trial detention. However, the KGB detention center does not admit any copies."

Volha Haidukova said that now it is the third lawyer working with her son since his arrest. However, she can’t disclose his name. The lawyer was present during the interrogation carried out by investigator Barysevich – he comes from Vitsebsk to Minsk for investigation activities.

"The lawyer says that it is very cold in the KGB detention center, you could be cold even in the couple of hours while the questioning was underway. I’m afraid lest Andrei got ill... The lawyer passed two requests by the son, so that we paid the money for the credit – he bought a mobile phone in installments , and took tests for him from the university – he is in his fifth year now. This makes me happy – it means he has a hope of liberation, continued learning, and generally he has a good mood," says the mother.

Andrei Haidukou’s parents and friends believe that the charges are the pressure associated with his public activities. He participated in the silent protests, he was going to register a public organization "Union of Young Intellectuals", which was created by Navapolatsk activist Yauhen Kanstantsinau. Andrei Haidukou was his deputy, and he repeatedly told that "people in civilian clothes" had visited him, threatening him with problems at work – the guy works as an operator at "Naftan" – and at University.

According to representatives of the civil campaign "European Belarus", Andrei Haidukou was not detained for making “a dead drop” that could be of interest to foreign intelligence services, but for the transportation of a part of the circulation of the newspaper "Charter'97" for distribution in Vitsebsk region.