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.
