Baranavičy activists congratulate father of Mikalai Statkevich on son's birthday

August 12, representatives of Baranavičy political parties and NGOs visited Viktar Statkevich and congratulated him on the 59th birthday of his son Mikalai, who is serving a sentence in the Mahilioŭ prison.

They discussed the economic and financial crisis, the beginning of the presidential campaign of 2015, the lifting of sanctions off some Belarusian officials and the preliminary information of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, who suggested that Statkevich Jr. may be released prior to the visit of the Pope to Belarus in September 2015. However, most of the time was devoted to Aliaksandr Lukashenka's statement that the question of Mikalai Statkevich was on the agenda and might be resolved until 11 October, the date of the presidential election.

“Though Viktar Statkevich is 89 years old, he is still very interested in social and political life in Belarus and in the world. He is well aware of the statement of Aliaksandr Lukashenka about his son, but does not believe these words. Statkevich Sr. knows well enough that the authorities, first of all, want his son to repent, which the latter would never do,” commented Viktar Syrytsa.