Volha Haidukova not allowed to see her son

Aleh Barysevich, an investigator of Vitsebsk KGB Department, refused to allow Volha Haidukova to visit her son, 24-year-old Navapolatsk resident Andrei Haidukou, charged with high treason and kept in the remand prison of the KGB.

The term of the preliminary investigation into his case expires on 8 May, but maybe prolonged again.

"I don't know anything. KGB has never informed me about the extension of the terms of the investigation and I have to ask the counsel about it. However, even the counsel cannot meet with Andrei any time, as some troubles have started again. Earlier he used to be admitted to the remand prison regularly for a certain period time, whereas now he is not always allowed such meetings... And the counsel cannot tell me everything as he has signed the undertaking not to disclose the secret of the investigation," commented Volha Haidukova.

As she already knows from Andrei's letters, the investigation is already over, as on 29 April he wrote about having studied the case materials, and after this they were to be passed to the prosecutor's office. The trial may take place after 20 May.

"I think he won't be released until trial, the more that I wasn't allowed to meet him. I have filed such requests two times already. During the first time I got a refusal, but the investigator said that perhaps I would be allowed to meet the son after the end of the investigation. The investigation is already over, but I got another refusal, without any explanations. Most probably, soon there will be a trial but there is no hope for a meeting with Andrei. It's good that he writes us letters. They are not large, just a half of a copybook sheet, but I feel easier knowing that he is in a good mood and still supports us."

Andrei Haidukou has been kept in custody for 6 months already. He was detained on 8 November in Vitsebsk, allegedly while making a hiding place with the information which could interest foreign intelligence services. Since then the investigation has been extended. The mail correspondence between Andrei and his relatives has been interrupted several times and his lawyers was often denied the opportunity to meet him.

At the end of 2012 another accused was added to the case – Navapolatsk adherent of Belarusian Christian Democracy party, Illia Bahdanau. At first he was interrogated as a witness and then was told that he was transferred to the status of a suspect. However, several months later the suspicions were removed and Bahdanau was returned the status of a witness.

The apartments of Bahdanau and Haidukou were searched right after the detention of the latter. Apart from Bahdanau, other friends of Andrei Haidukou were summonsed for interrogations.

The friends tell that the charges in high treason and espionage look absurd and explain the arrest of Haidukou with the wish of the authorities to intimidate other public activists. Andrei Haidukou took part in a number of opposition's events, was a member of the electoral team of Andrei Sannikau during the last presidential election and helped democratic candidates during the last local election.