Mikalai Statkevich confirmed fact of tortures in KGB prison

A former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich was interrogated in the case of investigation of torture facts in the KGB remand prison. The interrogation was held by the Military Prosecutor’s Office in Shklou penal colony, where Mr. Statkevich serves his term. RFE/RL has been informed about that by the wife of the political prisoner Maryna Adamovich.

“We were there on Friday with the lawyer, and she took part in the interrogation connected to these facts: investigation of tortures at the KGB. He confirmed all the facts told by other prisoners previously. He looks fine: he is cheerful and self-assured,” the woman said.

One more accused for participation in the protest rally of 19 December, Aleh Hnedchyk, serves the sentence in Shklou as well. As said by his mother Valiantsina, pressure is exerted on him and other prisoners, they are forced to write petitions for pardon. “Psychological pressure was applied on them, to make them write appeals for pardon. There are 5 persons there, as I think. No one was going to write such letters certainly, and it seems this pressure stopped. But later this influence started again, they were told to write letters for pardon. I do not know how this influence looked like, they probably were not given letters from home, or it was something else, I do not know. I only wish my heart to go through all that,” Valiantsina Hnedchyk said.

Valiantsina Hnedchyk has also informed that she keeps correspondence with a friend of her son, Vasil Parfionau, who is serving a 4-year’s sentence in the prison in Orsha. “Vasil writes to me every week, he is great, he is an optimist. He writes everything is fine with him, he works, repairs cells. He even supports me, When I had no letters from Aleh, Vasil wrote about that. And he reassured me saying everything is going to be fine. To put it short, Vasil is a good boy, he is never bored,” the woman said.

In late July one more political prisoner, Aleh Fedarkevich, was transferred to Mahiliou prison. During the meeting he told to his relatives that incarceration conditions have improved as compared to the remand prison, but his health deteriorated over the period of incarceration. A member of his family, Volha said: “He complained he has pain in heart. It is the result of the time in prison, as he had never complained about any heart problems before. He did not ask any medicines except vitamins, but he has complaints about the health of his heart.”

50-year-old Aleh Fedarkevich is to stay in prison for almost 3 years: for participation in the protest rally on December 19 he was sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment.