Human rights defenders congratulate Vasil Parfiankou on his release from jail (photos)

The political prisoner Vasil Parfiankou was released from the Babruisk remand prison #6 at about 11 a.m. on 9 February. He was met by friends and comrades-in-arms, human rights defenders, public and political activists from Minsk and Baranavichy.

Parfiankou was sincerely surprised at seeing so many people meeting him and confessed he couldn't imagine such a thing...

He said that he was waiting for this day to come. He did not complain about the prison conditions, but said that it was better to be free in any case. Having given the first interviews, the ex-prisoner greeted his friends and asked them about their life affairs. Meanwhile, Vasil knows about the situation in the country well enough as he regularly read the press while serving the arrest term.

He also said he had received many letters from Belarus and abroad (up to several hundreds a day) and thanked all people for support.

What concerns the life in the arrest house, Mr. Parfinakou said that his cell was quite large, he had some 6-8 inmates, all of them were quite adequate people. However, he received a number of admonitions for insignificant violations of the prison rules.

Nasta Dashkevich (maiden surname – Palazhanka) passed him a letter from Zmitser Dashkevich. Then people took commemorative photos with Vasil before his departure to Minsk.

In the afternoon, he was met in Minsk. The former political prisoner and participant of "Square-2010" Uladzimir Niakliayeu congratulated him over the phone.

"My only wish for today", said Vasil Parfinakou at the departure, "is to get home and take a bath. Then the life will continue".

Bear in mind that within three days the political prisoner must get registered at the police. The prophylactic surveillance over him will end only in several months.

During the electoral campaign-2010 Vasil was an active participant of the civil campaign "Tell The Truth", was an activist of the electoral team of Uladzimir Niakliayeu, collected signatures and agitated in his support.

Mr. Parfiankou was detained on 4 January 2011 in Minsk on suspicion in relation to the "mass riot" of 19 December 2010. Three days after the detention he was transferred to the pre-trial prison in Valadarski street in Minsk as a figurant of a criminal case brought under Article 293 of the Criminal Code.

On 17 February 2011 the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 4 years in a high-security prison. He was serving his term in Orsha. On 17-27 July he was kept in the penal cell for "violation of the standards of clothing". On 11 August he was pardoned by Aliaksandr Lukashenka and released from jail.

However, on 29 May 2012 the judge of the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk Siarhei Bandarenka sentenced Vasil Parfiankou to 6 months of arrest under Article 421 of the Criminal Code, "violation of the regime of preventive surveillance", established over him on 5 January 2012. The reason for the establishment of the preventive surveillance was Vasil's active participation in the socio-political life of the country.

On 24 July the Minsk City Court dismissed the cassation appeal of Vasil Parfiankou against the arrest. On 9 August 2012 Vasil Parfiankou was put under arrest.