Alina Stefanovic: “It is my husband’s life's work”

Today, October 14, jailed Viasna Deputy Chair and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) Valiantsin Stefanovic celebrates his 50th birthday.

Valiantsin Stefanovic devoted his life to the defense of human rights.

Along with Viasna Chair Ales Bialiatski, and the coordinator of the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" campaign Uladzimir Labkovich he has been behind bars for fifteen months already—since July 14, 2021. While in pre-trial detention, Stefanovic had a severe case of pneumonia, and the charges against him and his fellows were toughened. The political prisoner’s family was forced to leave Belarus. Viasna spoke with Valiantsin Stefanovic’s wife Alina about her husband's second birthday behind bars, the latest news about him, and how one can send him greetings in jail.

“I understood that it was going to be a long time”

On the morning of July 14, 2021, security forces came to Stefanovic and his fellows from Viasna. After a search, all technical equipment was confiscated and the human rights defender was taken for interrogation and then put into custody.  Mrs. Stefanovic admits that from the very beginning she had no hope that the detained husband would soon be released:

“I understood that it was going to be a long time.”

“It is his life's work”

The latest news about Valiantsin Stefanovic is that the charges against him were increased. For over a year he, Ales Bialiatski, and Uladzimir Labkovich were kept in custody for ‘tax evasion’ under Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code, but recently the charges were changed to harsher ones. Now they are accused of ‘smuggling’ (Part 4 of Article 228 of the CC) and ‘financing of group actions that grossly violate the public order’ (Part 2 of Article 342 of the CC) and face from 7 to 12 years of imprisonment.

“In his letters, Valiantsin expressed his attitude toward the new charges. He says he had nothing to be ashamed of. Indeed, it is his life's work. Of course, it is unpleasant stuff, but apparently, he sees it as a part of human rights activist life,” says Alina.

Alina Stefanovic had to flee Belarus with her three children. She temporarily settled in Georgia, where she continues to fight for the release of her husband.

In one of his recent letters, Valiantsin Stefanovic expressed his views on the smuggling charges:

“I am a hostage, I am a prisoner, and things will be decided on a completely different basis. That's why I don't care what they accuse me of and what story they want to concoct. They accuse me of helping people.So let them put me in jail for that, it's an honorable thing to be in jail for that for me, a human rights defender. I am proud of it! To them I am a smuggler, and to the people I am the one who has been helping them all these years. Yes, that who I am!I'm the one who has stayed in his place, stayed to the end.”

“Such is Valiantsin’s fate, as is the fate of Ales”

Mrs. Stefanovic says that her husband did not have any health issues at the moment. In the winter, the jailed human rights activist caught pneumonia in a pre-trial detention center.

"Preserving health is the main thing that is required of Valentine now. The rest can be bought, but health is an exhaustible resource.”

Alina tells us that she planned to have a small family dinner with children for Valiantsin's birthday:

“Of course, we would like to celebrate such occasions at home with relatives and friends, but such is Valiantsin’s fate, as is the fate of Ales (Bialiatski—ed.), who celebrated both his 50th and 60th anniversaries behind bars. Still I hope that sooner or later it will all be over.”

“Just to show Valiantsin that he is not forgotten” 

Alina Stefanovic hopes that one day the whole family would be able to get together.

Mrs. Stefanovic notes that one can send telegrams and money transfers to Valiantsin—that way there is a better chance that greetings will reach him.

It is also possible to send a parcel by post. In addition, Alina suggests posting congratulations as comments to a dedicated Facebook post, she will later forward them to her husband.

“It will be very important for him to see the names of people who thought about him.”