Viktar Sivokhin, Vice-Chair of Belarusian Union of Afghanistan War Veterans, Visits Mikalai Autukhovich in Jail
Viktar Sivokhin, vice-chairman of the public association “Belarusian union of the Afghanistan war veterans visited the member of this union, imprisoned businessman Mikalai Autukhovich. He talked with the prisoner for two hours and considers the state of his health has become critical after a long hunger-strike.
In his interview to RFE/RL Viktar Sivokhin said he started to cry when he saw Autukhovich, despite his being an experienced colonel. He thinks the war veterans have to apply to the procurator general with the request to change the restraint to Autukhovich who isn’t going to flee:
-- The veteran of the war in Afghanistan, who honestly worked, provided jobs and wages to other veterans, is isolated from the society for unknown reasons, though his state of health is critical – I say it because I’ve seen him merry and mighty.
Viktar Sivokhin points that all people who fought in Afghanistan returned from there with subtle sense of justice. It also concerns Mikalai Autukhovich, chevalier of Red Banner order and the medals For Courage and For Merit. Viktar Sivokhin doesn’t believe Autukhovich can consume anything, be on “partial” hunger-strike:
-- What honey! Leave that tales! I saw this man. When the doctor gave him a medicine with vitamins, Autukhovich immediately threw it out with slime, because his stomach rejects even these vitamins. The situation is that we can lose a man in peaceful time. I can’t imagine what danger he can present to Vaukavysk and Hrodna region.
Viktar Sivokhin added Mr. Autukhovich looks as if he was removed from a cross.
-- The average age at which our veterans died is 48 years. 771 persons perished during the 10 years of the war in Afghanistan and five thousand – in Belarus.
About 600 citizens of Vaukavysk signed the appeal to Lukashenka with the request to change the restraint to the prisoner. The investigation of his case is over – according to the final accusation the sum of allegedly non-paid takes is 300 million rubles, not 679 it used to be at first.
