Presidential candidate Dzmitry Uss was granted parole
The political prisoner was freed on Lukashenka's pardon decree in the evening of 1 October.
The website charter97.org learnt this from political prisoner’s wife, Yauhenia Uss. Before his sudden release on 7 pm Dzmitry Uss had been in the republican prison hospital in Minsk.
The political prisoner said in response
to website’s congratulations on the release that “there’s nothing to
congratulate on until all political prisoners are freed”. He added that he was
ready to take part in the campaign to release them.
Zmitser Uss said his health was “normal, but blood pressure jumps up”.
Answering if he had been pressed in prison he said: “It was indirect pressure
through prisoners and administration. There were restrictions concerning
meetings, I was denied of parcels, it’s was uncomfortable to live in a cell
because of stool pigeons.”
Dzmitry Uss links his release to the firm position of the US and the EU, which
demand to free all political prisoners.
Recalling how he appeared in court with a bag full of his belongings and heard
the sentence - 5.5 years in a medium security penal colony - Dzmitry Uss said
confidence that “the truth will triumph and insanity will end” kept his alive.
Before the release, Dzmitry Uss was shown a decree by the Corrections
Department’s chief, Barsukou, saying Uss was pardoned by Lukashenka. The former
presidential candidate says he did not see the text of the pardon decree. He
did not apply for a pardon in spite of several proposals.
Uss said the first days after his arrest were the most difficult.
He shared a cell with people convicted
for financial crimes and drugs. According to him, ordinary prison guards
treated him well unlike some senior officers. Uss said several prison guards
applied for dismissal after talks with him. He thinks it was a result of his
agitation not to serve to the regime.
His work in prison was knitting hammocks. He says a hammock costs 50,000
rubles, but he received only 1,000. He earned 60,000 per month. The political
prisoner plans to settle business issues and devote himself to his little son.
Dzmitry Uss expected other political prisoners to be released. According to
him, presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau is under strong pressure because
“they want to break him physically and morally”.
