Valiantsin Stefanovich from Viasna describes how he celebrated the New Year in pre-trial detention center

Valiantsin Stefanovich, a political prisoner, the deputy chairman of Viasna Human Rights Centre, as well as six other human rights defenders and volunteers from Viasna, celebrated the New Year behind bars. Valiantsin was discharged from the prison hospital, where he spent about three weeks with pneumonia and transferred back to the cell. In his first letters in 2022, the Viasna activist describes how he celebrated the holiday in the detention facility and writes about the congratulations of his cellmates and the solidarity of Belarusians from outside the prison.

"My big news is that I have been finally released from the hospital and am now back in my cell, where I stayed before. It's good to be well, though, of course, it takes a while to recover after the illness.

I am very glad to be back in my cell again, to have back the little joys of the local life: books, TV, newspapers, etc. We celebrated the New Year here as best as we could. We set the table, congratulated one another and, of course, the only wish we made was to be released from here as soon as possible.

At 10 p.m., the bedtime, the lights were out, so we didn't watch Lukashenks's greetings :-) Nor did we watch the New Year's Eve TV programs. There have been no allowances for us these days. Everything was as usual or even worse because we got more attention than we are commonly given. That's how we celebrated the New Year.

During such holidays everyone here thinks of their loved ones, who we are separated from right now against our will. That’s why everyone feels sad, of course, on holidays like these. Just as our relatives were sad to celebrate the New Year without us. But it can’t be helped; it is what it is. However, through the open window, we heard the sound of firecrackers and fireworks. We thought it started at 23:34 [as in the number of on infamous Article of Administrative Code (Violation of the organization or holding of mass events)]. Nevertheless, it might have been just our imagination.

I have received many greeting cards, including those from complete strangers. I haven't had time to reply to all of them, but I am very grateful to people for their support and solidarity, grateful that people don't forget about me and our other prisoners. This is extremely important, this is something that no one can take away from us or prohibit–our solidarity.

I have high hopes not to have to spend another New Year's Eve in prison. You never know, though. I always think of Ales [Bialiatski], who is here for the second time, while next year he turns 60.

I hope to see you soon. We must believe in miracles and hope for the best. Things will come right!"

Please, send open letters of solidarity and support to our e-mail, freeviasna@gmail.com or via Telegram, @spring96info, and we will forward your letters to Viasna activists and publish some of them on our website and in social networks. All details of the Viasna case are to be found at the special website freeviasna.org.